The Traveler
by Lacrea Moonlight
Summary: Danni is a woman who finds herself in an incredible situation. Pulled from our world by an unknown force, she awakens in worlds she doesn't recognize over and over again. How will she be changed? Xovers for Underworld, DC, Marvel, Buffy and more. WARNING: Adult content! Lemons! R/R! Chapter 30. Looking for a Beta for my stories. Send a message if you're interested.
1. Chapter 1

The Traveler

By Lacrea Moonlight

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. Anything else, such as the mentioned but not named book series and _Banshee Chapter_ are not mine. _Banshee Chapter_ is an excellent film I would recommend to anyone who is interested in horror films. _House, M.D._ is also not mine. I happen to be a huge fan of the series, though, and just wanted to slap the name of the show into this story. I don't own iPhone 6 Plus, that belongs to Apple. I also don't own PlayStation 3 or Netflix. These are all items that I have purchased or have subscriptions to. I'm making no money off of this fanfiction.

Chapter 1

Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey. Some people seem to have trouble with taking my name seriously when they hear it, especially those who have read that book series my mom got my first name from. The middle name, she found in a baby book and thought it was really cute. Most people who know me just call me Danni for short and that's how I introduce myself, for the most part. It's not that I don't like my name, it's just so… formal. As I stand in line at the pharmacy and hear my name butchered yet again, I curse my mother's obsession with elegance. I walked over to the technician who had my prescription and gave a thin smile. She was older than me, perhaps thirty-five. I was just about to turn twenty-three years old in a week and it would be a lonely occasion for me.

The technician was looking at me with a raised brow as she read the name of the prescription bag again. Before she could ask, I pulled out my driver's license and shoved it at her. It was my way of saying, "Yes, that's really my name. No, it's not a joke. Please move on with the conversation." She kept her mouth shut and scanned my store card before charging me the $5 co-pay for my birth control injection. I paid for the prescription and for a few other items I'd found while I'd perused the store. I grabbed my two bags in one hand and pulled the car keys out of my pocket with the other as I dodged the aisles of the store to get out. My car's rear lights flashed as I came out and crossed the parking lot. The trunk door popped open and I piled my purchases inside.

Driving home was a short affair and I was soon nestled in my two bedroom apartment, the electric heater I'd turned on humming in the background as it automatically turned side to side. Although I had hoped to find a roommate for the apartment when I first moved there, I had come to enjoy my solitude and only desired my cat, Mimzy, for company. She was a fickle creature, as all cats tend to be and the three year old feline often was found lounging on the window sill. She would lazily stare at the birds as if she was plotting their demise, I thought affectionately. When I pulled out a can of her favorite food, Mimzy bolted from the sill and was suddenly at my feet mewling incessantly. I emptied the contents onto a paper plate and cut it up for good measure before placing it on the floor. As usual, she sniffed at it delicately for a few moments before finally deciding that it was to her standards.

I clasped the paper bag containing my birth control shot and headed to the bathroom. Pulling out a pair of gloves, a pair of cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol, I filled the syringe with some air before puncturing the vial and squeezing some of the air into it. I pulled every last drop of the liquid that I could into the syringe. I put the needle down for a moment as I donned my gloves and soaked a swab with alcohol. I used the alcohol to clean the skin of my intended mark; pushing on the plunger of the syringe to ensure no air was still inside, I prepared to stick myself and be done with this chore when there was a knock at the door. _Who could that be? It's 8:30 p.m. on a Friday!_

Irritated, I took off the gloves, pulled my pants back up over my hip and smoothed my shirt down. I opened the door to find my neighbor, Jared Russel, preparing to knock again.

"Danni, hey! I thought I saw you come back home!" Jared exclaimed. He was always a little too eager to see me and I wasn't always eager for the same. Jared was a little off to me. There was always something I couldn't put my finger on about him that made me want to run away from him, though he'd been nothing but kind to me since we'd met. He'd moved into the apartment two doors down about a year and a half ago. The first time we crossed paths, Jared had been carrying several boxes to his apartment and I'd been taking Mimzy to the vet for her annual check-up. She had a terrible fit in the pet carrier from just being around him and that cemented my opinion of him immediately. Mimzy liked everyone she ever met until Jared and if she didn't like him, I believed there to be a good reason.

"Jared, what can I do for you?" I asked with my best fake smile. He grinned.

"Oh, nothing. I actually have something for you. There was a package for you and the guy was gonna take it back. I signed for it and took it for you since you're never home during the day," he replied as he went back around the corner outside the apartment. He stooped and brought back a rather large box that must not have weighed all that much because he was able to pick it up so easily. I took it from him and started walking to the kitchen table. He closed the door and followed. "Were you expecting a package?"

"Yes, thank you. I had forgotten it was supposed to come today."

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Nearby, Mimzy was only half finished with her meal and was hissing and growling at Jared's unwanted presence. My irritation began to rise.

"Nothing of importance. It's for work," I replied, somehow managing to keep my ire from coloring my voice. Turning to him, I gave another fake smile and began walking him to the door. I was already having a bad day and it wouldn't have been fair to take it out on him. "I was in the middle of something when you came over, Jared. I'd like to get finished with it and then have some dinner. Thank you again, for holding onto my package for me. I would have just waited until Monday to get home early for it but now I don't have to. Thanks again and I'll see you later, okay?"

"B-but, wait!" he stuttered as I gently pushed him out the door and shut it against his protests. With a sigh I headed back to the bathroom, where my syringe was waiting. I donned new gloves and pulled my pants down again. I hastily cleaned the spot I planned for the injection and then slid the needle in with the second swab to cover the spot even before I pushed the plunger down. I pulled the needle out and pressed on the swab and the new bead of blood that had formed on my skin, massaging the spot gently for a moment. I pulled out a band aid and smoothed it into place, discarding all of the used supplies into the waste basket.

Heading back to the kitchen, I pulled out a small box cutter and used it to open the package I had temporarily forgotten. I pulled out the new clothes I'd just purchased from the online store I favored. I carefully checked for damage and then made sure that everything was the proper size. I examined the print on one of the tags of a dress I'd been very excited to wear. When I was satisfied that it read 3X, I immediately took everything in the box to my laundry room. I was lucky enough to have an apartment that came with free water and already had a washer and dryer in it. I sorted out the proper colors and examined each tag to see what the proper instructions were, even as I blatantly ignored some and just threw them in with my other laundry on the cold wash.

I cleared the box and stuffing away from the table and stuffed it all in the trash. Walking to the fridge, I pulled out the one hot dog I had and the container of macaroni from the night before. I cut up the hot dog, heaped a large serving of macaroni onto another paper plate and mixed the pieces in before popping it into the microwave. I grabbed a can of cranberry soda from the fridge and poured it into a glass. The salt and pepper were waiting on the counter, as usual when the microwave beeped. I put a little of each on the meal and, as an afterthought, squeezed a little ketchup all over it. I ate my meal standing up at the sink. Mimzy had finished her meal finally and when mine was done, I washed the fork by hand and dumped the paper plates in the trash. Taking my glass to the living room, I set it on the coffee table and crumbled into a chair. I don't have a couch, just three recliners to relax in. Two had handles for popping the legs up and the third was electric with a button that slowly raised your feet. It was lucky that they were all tan and brown instead of wildly different colors.

I grabbed the remote and hit the button that turned on my PlayStation 3 and waited while it booted up, triggering the TV to turn on as well. I scrolled to Netflix and took a moment to wander back and forth between watching a movie or falling asleep to episodes of _House, M.D._ I decided on a particularly creepy film that always managed to keep me awake called _Banshee Chapter_ and drank in the opening scenes eagerly. No matter how many times I saw this movie, it managed to give me the creeps. I sipped my soda and ran my hand through my dyed black hair, pulling the elastic band out and freeing my curly locks. Mimzy hopped into my lap and curled into a purring ball while I absentmindedly scratched behind her ears.

Watching the film, I jumped in all the right places and cringed wherever appropriate. It was just reaching the scene where the main characters reached an underground bunker when all the power went out. I groaned inwardly. _Okay, so I don't get to finish my movie tonight. What caused the power outage this time? There aren't any clouds, no storms are supposed to come through and those gutless jerks around the block were arrested for stealing power and cable last night._ I sighed as I extracated Mimzy from my lap and headed for the kitchen. I knew I had a flashlight under the sink, along with some jar candles and a solar powered mini generator for charging my small electronics. I'd had enough experience with power outages since moving to the apartment that I'd had just about everything figured out at this point.

Blindly rifling through the cabinet, I felt the familiar grip of the flashlight and pressed the button. Since it was a tripod, I stood it up and twisted its head to shine light on the cabinet's contents. I grabbed two of the six candles and the box of matches. Walking over to the pantry cabinet, I grabbed the glass jar I stored uncooked pasta in and grabbed out a single noodle. Useful tip for when you have to light something and your match isn't long enough: spaghetti noodles are perfect for the job. I struck a match, lit the end of the noodle and used it to light the candles before blowing both the match and the burnt noodle out and dropping the smoking pieces in the sink. I put a stopper in one side of the sink and filled it to an inch below the edge. I dipped my fingers in and heard the droplets sizzle as they hit the match and noodle.

Now that the candles were providing some light, I switched off the flashlight but kept it handy.

"Mim, I don't really feel like going to sleep now, do you?" I questioned my furry companion. She raised her blue eyes to me as if to answer with an irritated look and then came over to rub her grey body against my leg. I pulled out my iPhone 6 Plus from the depths of my purse and tapped my email. There didn't seem to be much else other than junk mail and one email from my ex-boyfriend. I tapped on the subject line and began to read.

 _I know you don't want to hear from me anymore. I fucked up, I get it. It was just a mistake! I know you blocked my number and you don't accept my requests to see you at work. I'm feeling like a fucking stalker here. Please, just see me. Christy meant nothing to me, okay? It was a one-time fling and I thought we were broken up. She didn't keep the baby, you know. She gave it up for adoption. Please, I just want to talk about this. You know my number. Just call me._

 _Derrik_

 _What an unbelievable douche!_ I fumed. I'd broken up with Derrik six weeks ago when I came across Christy, an old friend from high school. She was extremely pregnant and when we got to chatting, she admitted who the father was. She looked really embarrassed by the whole thing; Christy was the honor roll, straight-A student in school. She told me she'd hooked up with Derrik almost eight months prior because she'd been in town visiting with her parents. During that time, we'd been fighting and I had been refusing to speak with him for nearly a month.

I remember his face when I confronted him. His short blond hair was tousled from his hands running through it in stress, his blue eyes had searched the kitchen wildly for some kind of escape. His nose was narrow and his thin lips were pursed. He'd done a hell of a lot more than cheat on me to deserve being dumped and he knew it.

 _"Danni, I don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry, okay?"_

 _"Sorry? Sorry doesn't even factor into it! Sorry doesn't come close!"_

 _"We were broken up! You can't blame me for this!"_

 _"I sure as hell can blame you! We weren't broken up, you ass, we were arguing. You made a choice to go out and screw the first woman that you came into contact with."_

 _He angrily paced the room as he responded, pointing his finger at me accusingly, "You weren't talking to me, Danni! What the hell was I supposed to think? You weren't taking my phone calls, you ignored me every time I even came near you. I think it's rational to think that you were calling it quits on us after three weeks of the silent treatment!"_

 _"I had every right to be pissed off, and you fucking know it! You beat the shit out of Jeremy, Derrik! Jeremy was my boss! My BOSS! I had to beg for my job and even then, he still wanted to press charges against you for assault! The only reason he didn't is because I made a deal that I would finish one more month there, he would give me a recommendation to the next place I applied to and that he would NEVER have to see or hear from me or you again. I mean, Christ! You accused me of cheating with him! Did you ever consider asking me why I was staying late at the office? No, you were too busy leaping to conclusions. You decided that I was sleeping around and took matters into your own hands. I think the silent treatment was better than you deserved. I should have broken up with you right then and there; I would have saved myself a hell of a lot of heartache if I had!"_

 _The shock I felt wasn't from suddenly finding myself on the floor, or wondering why the room was spinning. It was when I touched my fingers to my mouth and pulled them back to see them covered in the blood I tasted. My lips had been dry all day and the impact of his back-handed slap had split it on the lower right corner of my mouth. I realized that I also must have an abrasion where my canine met the inside of my lip because I could still taste blood when I wiped at the cut. Looking up at Derrik, I could see he was just as shocked about having hit me as I was about being hit. He knew my rules very well and where I stood on domestic violence. I stood up, feeling fear creep into me even as I exuded false bravado._

 _"Danni…"_

 _"Stay away from me, you piece of shit."_

 _"Danni, it was an accident…"_

 _"An accident?!" I interrupted as I backed away from him, grabbing my purse and keys from his kitchen counter. "An accident is when you bump into someone walking down the street, not when you step forward and backhand your girlfriend because she says something you don't like."_

 _He stepped forward as I stepped back and my hand wrapped around the pepper spray on my keychain. He didn't miss that motion. My thumb moved the trigger from the locked position and I raised it up in preparation._

 _"Danni…"_

I pulled myself from my memories. Thinking about that wasn't going to change my situation. I checked my phone's charge and cursed when I saw it only had 38% left on the battery. Placing it in my pocket, I walked over to the laundry machine and checked the dial with one of the candles. The washer's cycle had finished but with no power, the dryer would have to wait. I shrugged and piled the damp clothes into a basket and headed to the bathroom. I'd rigged up a series of hooks in the bathroom after I moved in and pulled out the rope and clothes pins stashed behind the towels in the linens closet. After hanging the lines up, I pinned up the laundry to dry. _At least I didn't have to wash it all by hand like I used to before I got a working washer. Those ancient contraptions I was set up with when they moved me in here were the worst!_

It would be an irritation to dodge the wet clothes if I had to use the bathroom tonight but it wouldn't be too bad. I grabbed a blanket from the linen closet and put the basket back where it belonged before blew out one candle in the kitchen and then got myself settled in the living room. I didn't feel like going to my bedroom tonight. Wrapping the blanket around myself, I put the candle on the table furthest from the chair I planned to sleep in and blew it out. I carefully stepped back towards my intended chair and carefully sat down, being mindful that Mimzy had been laying on one of the armrests. As soon as my feet were up and my phone was on the table next to me, I laid back and put one hand on my cuddling companion, the other behind my head. I don't know how long I took to fall asleep but when I did, I'd had dreams I couldn't remember when I next woke.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I own nothing else and don't claim ownership of anything else unless otherwise stated at the end of this chapter. I obviously don't own Adele or Linkin Park or Chester Bennington; slavery is immoral and evil. If you think I've missed something that should have been mentioned, feel free to say so. Otherwise, enjoy the story. It's about to get interesting.

Chapter 2

The sun was what woke me that morning. Vaguely, I realized it was Saturday and stretched my tense muscles as I went from a reclining position to a sitting position in my chair. Mimzy was cross with me for even moving a little bit but her ears perked up when I mentioned getting some breakfast. She growled as I put my legs down and stood up, with her jumping down rather hard. We stared at each other pointedly whilst I mimicked her mewling impeccably. I was very good at sounding like a cat, as anyone could attest to, and it sometimes seemed as though I was having a real conversation with Mimzy when I did this. Either that, or she believed I was the worst foreign language student in the world since all I did was copy her and put random sounds together when she was around. I briefly wondered if what I mewled back to her made any kind of sense and cracked myself up with images of subtitles running whenever I made cat noises. One of these imaginary subtitles read, "Pants eat birds, foot food kiss."

Shaking my head, I made a beeline for the microwave and was pleased to discover the power had come back while I slept. I went back to the table and grabbed my phone. It read 9:30 AM, 26% battery. Grumbling, I plugged it in and went to the bathroom. My clothes from last night were mostly dry and ready to be put away, I discovered as I pushed garments aside to reach the toilet. After washing my hands and grabbing hangers, I hung up what needed hung and folded the rest. I decided not to bother with putting away the laundry line and clothes pins for the moment and went back to the kitchen. I'd finally gotten hungry and was ready to make some breakfast. I opened the fridge and grabbed a package of bacon and the pineapple core I'd bought a few days prior. I was in the mood for something sweet and savory.

First, I sliced the thick bacon strips into smaller rectangles. Then I sliced two rings off the pineapple core before putting the rest back in the container and back into the fridge. I pulled out toothpicks and sliced the pineapple rings into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Taking a toothpick from the package, I pierced the edge of one slice of bacon, pushed it through the pineapple chunk and then through the bacon on the other side. I grabbed a pan, placed a layer of aluminum foil on it and sprayed it with cooking spray before plopping the first piece onto the tray. I looked to the oven and turned it to 450 degrees to preheat. Making quick work out of the rest of the bacon wrapped pineapple chunks, I waited for the oven to heat up. As soon as the tone sounded, the tray was in the oven with about fifteen to twenty minutes to cook. Next, I pulled out the eggs and bread.

After the pan on the stove was heated, I made French toast and some scrambled eggs. A few minutes later, the timer went off and out came the bacon and pineapple. I waited a minute before using my fingers to grab the toothpicks and place them on my plate. I took my glass from the night previous and filled it with water in the sink before grabbing a clean one and filling it with milk from the fridge. I pulled out my pill bottle and popped an Adderall before I began my breakfast. I didn't want my ADHD getting in the way of cleaning up around the apartment today. The sweetness of the pineapple and savory flavor of the bacon was just what the doctor ordered; I was in food heaven as I took another bite and poured some syrup on the plate for the French toast. It spread to everything on the plate and everything became that mix of sweet and savory I was so enjoying.

Under the table, I felt a dainty paw touching my ankle and realized that I hadn't given Mimzy her breakfast. I stood up with a mouth full of peppery scrambled eggs and grabbed a can of fish fillet cat food and opened it. This one was already diced and covered in gravy, so I just put the can on the floor. Mimzy settled in for her meal and I returned to mine. I was just finishing up with the last bit of French toast when the theme to _Game of Thrones_ blasted from my phone. I walked to where it was charging and saw it was an unknown number. I swiped right and answered with a slightly chipper, "Hello."

"Danni?"

"Margret? Is that you?"

"Yep, it's me!" Margret was one of my best friends in school. I would tell her just about anything and she would tell me anything as well. We were often partners in crime.

"What's going on? It's been forever since we talked," I responded enthusiastically.

"Well, I've got a little bit of a problem that I was hoping you'd be able to help me with," she replied. Her voice was a little stern by nature, so everything she would discuss always sounded rather important.

"What's the problem?"

"Derrik won't stop calling me. He showed up at my door last night and I'm frankly starting to get really scared."

"Oh, shit. Are you serious? He's harassing you?"

"Yeah. He says he just wants to talk to you but I think he's lost it."

"Marg, Jesus… I don't know what to tell you. I think he's come unraveled and I don't trust that he won't try to hurt you. I think that if you see or hear from him again, you should just call the cops. He showed up at my work a couple days ago. I told them if they see him again to call the police. He hasn't exactly been in his right mind since I left him."

"Honey, you sound worried for him and you shouldn't be. The bastard hit you. The end."

"I know that. You know my feelings on domestic violence. You hit me once, you don't get the chance to do it again. He knew that, too," I sighed into the phone. "I'm not worried for him. I'm worried for you."

"Don't worry about me, Danni Girl," Marg chuckled on the line, "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. It'll take more than that creep to rattle my cage."

"All right, if you say so," I replied hesitantly. "Listen, I gotta go. I have a lot of crap to do today and not enough time to do it in. Can I call you later?"

"Sure. I'll be sitting for my niece tonight, so don't call too late, okay?"

"Which niece? Haven't you got about two dozen?" I laughed. She laughed with me for a second before clearing her throat.

"Hey, it isn't my fault that I have seven brothers and sisters. I was the happy surprise at the end, remember? Anyway, it's Alyssa. She's Jack's kid. She's going to be five next week, you know."

I nodded vaguely, though I didn't know any of Margret's siblings. I hummed an affirmative into the phone, remembering she couldn't see me. "Well, say a happy birthday to the munchkin for me if I don't catch you before six, okay?"

"Gotcha. I'll talk to you later! Bye!"

"Bye."

I put the phone down on the counter and stared at my milk for a moment before taking a long swig. As I was drinking, I picked up my dirty plate and walked to the sink and placed all of my empty and dirty dishes there. I ran hot water over the plate and used the sponge to clear away the syrup before opening the dishwasher and setting it inside. I was glad for the fact that I didn't have to do dishes by hand. I placed by dirty soda cup and dirty milk cup into the top rack, followed by my fork and knife into the silverware holder after they'd all been rinsed out. Once the dishwasher was closed, I headed to the bathroom and pulled all of the lines down from the laundry I'd hung the night before and stowed them in their usual place before pulling out a clean towel and starting the water. I let it get hot and steamy before switching on the dual shower head I'd installed. One head was a rain-type head and the other was a wand that hung off to the side. I would use that for washing the shower out every week when I finished scrubbing it down.

I enjoyed the hot spray as I stepped into the tub. The hot water beat into my back and the soreness from the odd sleeping position I'd found on the chair the night previous. Tilting my head back, my curly auburn hair became saturated quickly. Looking to the bottom of the tub, I saw the faint reddish color swirling in the water and groaned. I hadn't gotten the rest of the chemicals out of my hair when I dyed it two days ago. Can't dress in light colors today, then. At least I didn't have to worry about my natural black roots showing through the color anymore.

I grabbed my color protecting shampoo and squeezed a generous amount into my palm before massaging it into my hair and scalp. I rinsed it out after a couple of minutes of letting it sit while I washed my body. I grabbed the matching conditioner and worked it into my waist-length hair. I picked up my hair brush and used it to both work the conditioner all the way through my hair and smooth away the knots that would quickly build up. Starting at the ends of my hair, I worked the brush through every knot carefully, glad for the way the conditioner helped to untangle the tresses. I picked up my fine-toothed comb next and repeated the process, ensuring that any dreaded dandruff was scraped from my scalp and down the drain. Thankfully, it was just a seasonal thing I had to deal with.

I washed the conditioner from my hair and shaved under my arms, my legs and unmentionables. The last part I shaved for cleanliness rather than sexiness. Derrik once implied that it must be a really sensual experience. I implied that it was about as sensual as popping a zit. He didn't speak about it again. Once I was sure I'd rinsed all the soap from my body, I turned off the water and toweled dry. I grabbed the bottle of spray leave-in conditioner and combed it through my hair before tying it into a thick braid.

Walking into my bedroom, I dropped the damp towel into the dirty laundry basket and strutted over to my closet. My hazel eyes settled on a black t-shirt and I pulled it out. I yanked on panties and a pair of jeans before putting on my favorite t-shirt bra and slid the shirt over my head. I took one step and then turned around to grab a belt. I'd lost a little weight over the last few weeks, so my pants were loose and slid down with every step. I headed back to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, flossed and gargled mouthwash. Once I was done, I plucked a few stray hairs from my eyebrows and then examined my reflection.

At 5'6", I'm neither super tall nor super short. I have a round face and hazel eyes that shifted to brown on occasion. My nose was straight and had a very slight up-turn. My lips are slightly swollen and full with a natural dark pink hue. I have pale skin that was an olive tone and would often turn to the kind of tan people would pay for after I would burn in the sun. I have a slight double chin to go with my extra-curvy body. I wear a 3X in some clothes, 22-24 in others. It's expected when you weigh 302 lbs. I'd just lost fifteen pounds over the last few weeks, so I'd splurged and bought a few items of clothing that would fit me better. I was proud of my little weight loss.

I pulled a headband over my hair to pull back some of the frizzy pieces that were sticking out and headed towards the laundry. I picked up a load and tossed it into the washer along with some detergent. I turned the dial and then set about cleaning the rest of the apartment. I vacuumed everywhere that had carpet, scrubbed the tile in the shower and the tub with a multi-surface cleaner and dusted the living room. I'd turned on music when I started and as I moved on to my fourth load of laundry, I switched to the music on my iPhone instead. I had 128GB that I had yet to fill up completely with of all sorts of music. I set it to shuffle and nodded to myself when Adele's soulful voice filled the room.

It was on my last load of laundry when I glanced at the time. It was 3:47 in the afternoon and now that my apartment was clean, I was free to get more stuff done. I had finished up faster than I expected. I grabbed my phone and pulled the jack from the headphone port, cutting off the wailing voice of Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. Switching from music to Safari, I did a search for the next movie showing at the theater. The best option there was some new horror flick that didn't look too trashy. I hoped that I wouldn't guess the plot and ending in fifteen minutes, like I often could. Horror films hadn't really advanced in the last fifteen years.

I went to my closet and tossed my sweaty black shirt into the laundry basket. As I perused the options hanging before me and pursed my lips, debating between a blue blouse with white polka dots and a red camisole with a black floral lace overlay and a black sweater. I decided on the camisole and sweater and put them on. I took the headband off my head and unraveled my braid. My hair looked nicer than it usually came out after being in a wet braid, so I parted it to the side and left it down. I was about to leave for the 5:00 showing when I noticed a spot on the jeans I was wearing that made me frown. I'd gotten some cleaner on my pants and it bleached that spot white while I worked on cleaning.

I sighed and grabbed a new pair of jeans from the closet, my hair tickling the skin bared as I took off the soiled pants and put on the snug new pair I'd just gotten online. I slipped on a pair of black ballet flats and slung my purse over my shoulder before heading out the door. I locked the bottom and top lock with my key and then headed to my car. The drive to the theater was only fifteen minutes and I stopped on the way at the gas station to get candy and a soda to hide in my purse. I paid for the ticket to the horror film and got myself settled into a seat all the way in the back of the theater.

The theater started filling up as the previews ran for various movies coming out over the next few months. Super hero movies, sequels to movies that shouldn't have gotten sequels, something based off of crappy books. When the movie started, I was not impressed. It dragged on for two hours and I munched on my candy, sipped my soda obediently. I wasn't enjoying this movie. I predicted the ending, twist included. I felt jaded as I exited towards my car. It was almost eight and I was getting hungry. I'd skipped lunch and was hankering for something meaty. I headed for a small diner down the road and obliged the sign that asked me to seat myself.

I picked up the menu that was off to the side and examined my options. I decided on a burger and fries before the waitress had even come over to me. I gave her my order and decided to have water instead of a soda. I was so hungry that I devoured the burger quickly and took longer with the fries. I rarely ordered dessert and this was one of the times that I did. Warm cherry pie with vanilla ice cream on top. Once I was finished, I paid and left a generous tip. It was a short trip back home and Mimzy was waiting by the cabinet her food was stored in. I put her food on a paper plate and she happily ate while I texted Margret an apology for not calling, like I promised. She sent a smiley face back with a "can't talk now, fighting for bedtime."

I cursed when I realized I hadn't gotten the mail on my way up to my apartment and slipped my shoes back on to do just that when a knock sounded on my door. I opened it to find Jared waiting for me again. He smiled at me and I found myself instantly irritated. I didn't like how he always seemed to know when I came home. It felt like he was watching me and I had an image in my head of him peeping at me from his doorway or from his blinds when I was outside the building. I'm sure it wasn't too far from the truth. He looked like he was ready to go to a study group with his lanky form in khakis and a long sleeved button shirt complete with sweater vest. His dirty blond hair was briefly disturbed by a nervous hand raking through it and his eyes, almost black, seemed wider than normal.

"Jared. What's up?"

"W-well, I saw you just got back home and I was wondering if I could ask you a, ah, query?"

"Query? I guess so."

"Ah, we've been neighbors for a little while now and I, ah, noticed that your boyfriend hasn't been around…"

"Get to the point, Jared." I was feeling more and more tense with him standing there and asking 'queries' about my personal life than I usually did.

"W-well, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me on an excursion tomorrow?"

I was nearly speechless. First, this man I considered creepy at best starts speaking formally to me and now he wants a date. I decided not to lash out at the poor guy; he'd obviously made an effort to be nice and proper about this so I pasted on a fake smile for him and gave my best apologetic look. Bitch mode was held as firmly in check as I could keep it.

"Jared, I appreciate that you have an interest in me and want to go on an 'excursion' but I'm afraid that I'm not interested in anyone or anything right now. I really just want to spend time alone. It's very sweet that you came over like this to ask and I really appreciate it. Thank you, really."

He looked like I kicked his puppy. I wasn't about to let his sad puppy look get the better of me, so I gingerly pushed past him, keys in hand and door locked, and headed for the mail boxes outside the building. I opened my letter box with my key and frowned when I saw that it had my mail and a box that was only half an inch smaller than the mailbox itself stuffed inside. I wiggled my fingers in enough to grab the box and the mail and pull it all out at once. I gasped as I felt an uneven edge on the inside of the mailbox gouged into my right index finger. The cut was slightly ragged and ached as I closed the mailbox and locked it.

I hurried back up to my apartment and dumped everything on the counter as I looked for a band aid. I found the box and grumbled as I realized it was empty. The last one was in the trash bin from when I took it off the injection site before my shower. Pulling out a napkin, I wrapped my bleeding finger and pulled out the box cutter from the drawer. The box was plain and had no return address that I could see on it. I hadn't been expecting anything else and was more than a little curious as to what it could be.

There were packing peanuts filling the box and just removing a couple of them showed a cloth wrapped item. Picking it up with my left hand, it felt a little heavy. I gasped softly as I gingerly removed the cloth to reveal an odd sort of pendant. It was large and made of gold, small precious stones strategically placed in the winding tendrils that radiated from the central stone, a ruby if I wasn't mistaken. I was about to give further examination but the cloth caught my attention.

The cloth was marked, I realized as I placed the pendant on the counter. They must have been letters but in no language I knew or recognized. I turned the cloth from side to side, trying to see if I was reading them upside down or something but nothing looked familiar. Setting that aside, I grabbed the pendant again. It was more intricate than my first glance had revealed. The tendrils surrounding the ruby actually seemed to make it look like a red sun and the circle around the tendrils showed a crescent moon at the bottom that was crested with sapphires and diamonds. The tendrils from the sun had small, yellow canary diamonds reaching down to the moon and the moon had white diamonds reaching upwards towards the sun.

The gold was intricately detailed; everything about the pendant was gorgeous. The chain it was settled on was gold and though thin, not quite delicate. It was a large enough chain that I could easily put the necklace on if I put it over my head. I walked to the mirror in my bathroom and decided to try it on. Although there was no note or anything other than the cloth, I wanted to see how it would look. I didn't own a whole lot of jewelry but I would love to see how this looked on me, even if I only wore it once. I'd call around in the morning to see if anyone I knew sent it to me. I highly doubted that it was my parents. They objected to spending $300 on me during Christmas, so something like this would be out of the question.

I settled the pendant around my neck and used the cloth that had come with it to polish a speck of dust from the ruby. I hissed as I bumped my cut finger and then peeled off the soaked napkin. I tore off a small wad of toilet paper and started dabbing at the cut. I must have cut myself pretty badly because a few small drops fell onto the ruby, the sapphires and the diamonds that made up the sun and moon of the pendant even as I tried to snare them. I held the wad of toilet paper to the cut again and used the cloth to wipe at the blood on the pendant, but it didn't seem to want to come off.

"What the hell…?" I muttered as I tried again. I almost didn't notice the glow of the ruby as I continued trying to clean up the bloody mess I'd made but suddenly, it was a fierce glow. I felt heat and cold coming off the pendant, the ruby starting to burn with how hot it was against my flesh and the precious stones in the crescent were getting colder and colder. The heat and the cold against my skin were getting more and more intense and it was really beginning to hurt. I cried out in pain as it felt like my skin was starting to burn off. Without warning, the cloth it came in began to glow and started tightening around my hand.

I fell to my knees, my voice shrill as the pain intensified in my hand and chest. Mimzy, who had followed me to the bathroom, hissed and backed away. The cloth tightened around my left hand even more and it felt like my hand was about to be crushed. My chest ached and the air was sucked from my lungs and as I looked around desperately for something to use to pry the necklace and cloth from my body. It looked like the space around me was beginning to warp.

I fell forward and turned, trying to press my back against the door jamb and what I saw behind me filled me with terror. The space around me _was_ beginning to warp because what looked like a small singularity was forming where I'd just been crouched. _There's a fucking_ black hole _in my bathroom!_ I thought frantically. _What the fuck is going on?!_ The pain in my chest and hand intensified again and as I grasped with my bleeding right hand at the molding to hold myself in place, I felt my body being pulled strongly towards the hole. A scream ripped through me as one of my fingernails were ripped off and I fell into the black hole.

Author's note: Okay, I claim ownership of the pendant and weird cloth mentioned. I didn't want to ruin the surprise at the beginning of the chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own Matt, Steve, Andrew from the film _Chronicle_ or any other character introduced from this point forward unless otherwise mentioned, nor do I own anything else. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I'd be published and filthy rich, assuming people would buy my books. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

I don't know how long I was blacked out for but my head was killing me when I woke up. The next thing I noticed was that the cloth that had been crushing my left hand was gone but the markings that had covered it were now on my skin, partially hidden by the sleeve of my sweater. I pushed it back and my mouth formed an 'o' of surprise. The writings were all up and down my left arm, faintly glowing against my flesh before they faded away completely. My left hand was horribly bruised. I gingerly touched my wrist and realized that it was probably broken.

My right hand, with my still-bleeding finger, immediately went to my chest for the pendant but found nothing other than slightly raised flesh. I looked down to my chest and saw that the place it had been resting was reacting similarly to the cloth. My skin where the ruby sun had touched had a first degree burn and the flesh where the crescent had touched, the skin was nearly frostbitten. The curling designs that were on the pendant glowed faintly and then faded into my damaged body. I started to take notice of my surroundings.

It was night and I was surrounded by trees. In the distance I could hear the sounds of a rave, something I'd lost interest in when I was 19 years old and had seen someone who'd nearly died of a drug overdose. Wincing, I stood up and pushed through the underbrush. I held my damaged wrist close to my aching chest and started towards the sounds. I hoped that someone would have directions to a hospital.

In the distance, I saw a large building with flashing lights and heavy dance music pounding through the air. The sounds of people laughing, whooping and partying reached my ears as I got closer. I was approaching a teenager, perhaps seventeen years old, who was holding a professional-style video camera and sitting outside by himself. He was approached by another kid that exuded charm and finesse. As I got closer, I heard something about a place they'd found in a nearby field. The kid with the camera got up, albeit reluctantly, and followed the other kid. I was immediately noticed by the second kid. He had chocolate skin and warm brown eyes and was dressed in a light blue shirt, dark leather jacket and dark jeans. The one with the camera, turned towards me and began to film me. He was pale and wearing brown jeans, a grey shirt and a dark hoodie.

"Hey, are you okay?" The kid in the leather jacket asked. He seemed genuinely concerned while the other kid didn't look like he was interested other than to shoot his camera some more.

"I fell and hurt my wrist," I lied. Well, it was only partially a lie. I didn't tell him the truth because I didn't know what the truth was at this point. It was better than anything else I could have come up with. "I know you guys are about to go see something. Could you please take me to a hospital when you're done?"

"You're hurt? Well, we can just take you now," he switched gears immediately. I shook my head, although I would have liked to say yes. I'm too polite to people I don't know to demand my needs be met first, even when I'm hurt. Once, when I was a junior in high school, I broke my leg just by running down the street to catch the bus because I landed on my ankle instead of my foot. I hobbled to the bus, dragged myself into a seat and, as I was sobbing from the pain, told the driver to head off to school. A neighbor saw me take the fall and got my mother and her car to drive me the eight houses down from the bus stop to my parents' house. The fracture had been a spiral of both tibia and fibula in my right leg. That was when I was at 218 lbs.

"We can wait to see this thing you guys found. I'm kind of interested to see it myself, actually." I really didn't but I've always been a good liar. I had pulled the sweater closed and buttoned it before I'd approached, so all they could see was an injured wrist for now. He looked unsure and was about to say something when the kid with the camera began to lose interest and started walking away.

"Andrew, just a second, okay man?" He turned back to me once he was sure Andrew wasn't going anywhere. "I don't know you from school, do I? I'm Steve."

"No, I'm not from school. I was taking a walk in the woods and got lost after it got dark. I tripped and fell, because that's just how I roll," again, it wasn't a total lie. I was clumsy by and large. Events just didn't happen the way I had described them, is all. I added a quick half-smile at the end for good measure, trying to show Steve that I was okay enough to go to this discovery. "I'm Danni, by the way."

"Danni? Is that short for something?" Andrew asked, training the camera on me again.

"Yeah, Daenerys. My mom got it out of a book she liked and decided that's what she'd name me. She said that character was a strong female and, thus, a great role model. I think she just liked the way the name was spelled, you know?" That got a little smile out of him. He knew what book I was talking about.

"So, are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital, Danni?" Steve asked worriedly. I nodded.

"I'm sure. It can wait. Not like the hospital's going anywhere, right? It'll still be standing when we're done. If I can tag along, that is?"

"Sure, you can come along! There's a whole bunch of people coming to see this thing," Steve's smile was contagious and even though I was hurting, I still managed to catch it. As we walked over to this mystery location, Andrew and Steve chatted, although it was mostly Steve doing the talking. He was hoping to become a politician because he has a good memory for faces. As we got closer to the destination, we went towards a steep hill and all I saw was another kid, pale and wearing baggy jeans and a red plaid shirt with a dark hoodie, waiving us over. I could barely hear him calling to the two I was with over the pounding of my pulse in my already aching head.

When we got down the hill, my descent more delicate and monitored by Steve, we found the other kid, Matt, was crouching by a large hole in the ground. Steve and Matt wanted to get some kind of sound that was coming out of the hole on camera and were laying down with their heads inside of it. It was a pretty large hole, several feet in diameter and their heads inside didn't do much to fill it. It was even big enough for me to slide into and out of easily. I carefully laid down on the ground, not caring much to hear their excited jabbering. Only Andrew was as restrained as I was. I lowered my head into the hole, my hair falling in around my head and laying like a wavy blanket on my back.

It was a moment before I heard a loud, pulsating sound assaulting my eardrums. It made my headache worse but I didn't complain. Matt cried out a "Hello!" before Steve and then he dropped into the hole. I decided to drop in after Andrew did. We travelled down a long cave and while Andrew, obviously claustrophobic, kept calling to Matt that he wanted to get out of there. He continued to follow, for whatever reason. Andrew had said that Matt was his ride, so I figured that was part of it. The sound was louder and pulsating even more. We came to a cavern and found a large, glowing crystal that changed blue, red and white. We were all mesmerized by it, even with the pounding in my head getting worse and worse.

I felt compelled to touch the giant crystal and placed both hands, my badly bruised left hand and my right hand that was now crusted with dry blood, on one of the larger pieces. I put my head right up against it, trying to hear where the noise was coming from. It didn't take long for me to feel this strange euphoria I'd never experienced before. I had no idea what it was but I could see that it was beautiful and amazing. Opening my eyes, I turned to lean my other cheek on the crystal and watched as sweat from Steve's nose was actually _pulled_ to the surface. It was incredible. We stayed with the crystal, walking to and fro in front of it, examining the surface for a good ten minutes before Andrew started noticing that Steve, Matt, and I were starting to have serious nosebleeds. He was getting one two.

Suddenly, the pulsing noise came back and it was so much louder than it had been before. The pain we all felt was terrible. We stumbled back to the corridor we'd come down and both Matt and Steve helped to pull me out when I cried out after trying to put weight on my wrist. I'd forgotten all about the pain while basking in the amazing sight I'd just seen. Andrew wasn't far behind me and he'd lost the camera at some point during our run back to the opening. Once he was back on the grass, the three of them fell back, Andrew grumbling about his lost camera and the other two laughing. I smiled and was reminded of my injuries in that moment. All of this seemed familiar to me but I couldn't place how or where. It didn't quite matter, though. Steve saw my discomfort and again, switched gears to helping me get to a hospital.

"Shit, Danni. I'm sorry! I forgot about your wrist. Come on, I think we need to get this checked out okay?" I nodded and the four of us started back up the steep hill. Steve had one hand under my arm to help me up and Andrew and Matt would lend a hand on the nastier slopes. When we got up to the top, Steve and I said good bye to Matt and Andrew as they got into an older car that looked very well taken care of. It was driven by Matt and Andrew was his passenger. He was still grumbling about the lost camera as they drove off.

Steve showed me to his car, which was newer and was kept in pristine condition in the inside. He generously opened the passenger side door for me and when he got in on his side, he helped me buckle the seat belt.

"So, who are Matt and Andrew?" I asked conversationally, examining my swelling wrist in the light provided by the dash.

"Oh, those guys? They're cousins. Matt and I hang out all the time and I remember Andrew from home room a couple years back. Andrew's quiet but he's really cool. I think he's just holding it back from the world, you know? One day, he's gonna take this world by storm and no one is going to see it coming." I had to smile at Steve's enthusiasm. He's a genuinely good guy and he obviously cares about people. For him to say something so kind about someone he hardly knows personally told me that he wasn't going to talk behind someone's back or be false with them. He gives his whole personality to you on a platter and probably sees the same capabilities in other people, too.

"So, you guys hang out a lot?" I pressed. My wrist was really starting to hurt. Steve glanced over in the darkened car and flashed a smile.

"Tonight was the first time of me hanging out with Andrew but, like I said, he's cool."

"Good to know. How far are we from the hospital, do you know?"

"Well, the one I know best is near the city center, and at this time of night, Seattle isn't too busy."

 _Wait, Seattle? As in, Washington? How in the_ FUCK _did I get here?_

"I just hope it isn't broken, you know? It's going to suck if I have to wear a cast for six weeks."

"Nah, man. It'll be awesome. People are so much nicer to people when they see they've got a broken arm. They open doors, they carry stuff for you, and they don't get mad when you're taking a long time in line for something. It's like a free pass, if you know what you're doing," he laughed. I had to give him credit: he knows how to keep positive.

"I'll have to try thinking more positively," I agreed. It occurred to me that I needed to get to a phone if I was going to get this hospital visit covered. I hadn't had my phone on me when I'd woken up. It had been in my purse in the kitchen when everything had started happening. I decided that what I experienced was some kind of drug-induced frenzy. The cloth and the pendant must have been covered with some kind of chemical that leached into my skin and caused a hallucination, causing me to injure myself. It was the only logical explanation I could think of at this point and when I got back home, I would have some serious questions for anyone and everyone I knew. Someone had put that package in the mail for me and I was going to find out who.

When we got to the hospital, I reminded Steve to wipe the blood from his nose and he smiled gratefully. He didn't want anyone worrying about him. He helped me inside and I smiled gratefully. I looked awful; I had a pounding headache, a bloody nose, a broken wrist and nasty bruising and abrasions on my chest. I assured Steve that he could go. He gave me his phone number and asked that I call him to let him know I was okay. I smiled and promised that I would before shoving the folded piece of paper into my pocket. Then, I was whisked away by doctors and nurses. My clothes were bagged and I was put into a hospital gown.

The E.R. doctor was worried about a concussion when I told him I'd hit my head and blacked out at one point, so he ordered an x-ray of my arm and my head. I got a head CT and a blood test at my request when I expressed a concern that a drink I'd had was spiked. They immediately asked if the boy who brought me in was the one I suspected and I vehemently denied it. "We met after the fact, I know that for absolute certain. He only helped me get here. He had nothing to do with my predicament."

When I gave them my emergency information, they ran it all through the system but found no record of me at all. I repeated to them what I'd told them before. My name, my birthdate, where I lived. Finally, a nurse came back and told me that nothing was coming back in their system at all. "I would like to call my parents, please. They'll get this all straightened out." The nurse nodded and pulled the phone next to my bed over to me so I could reach it easier. My broken wrist had been bound up in a bulky cast and it went up to my elbow. My lower arm was broken, too. They'd given me pain medication for that and were still examining the results of the head CT. I dialed my parents' house number and waited while it rang.

"Pablo's Pizza, is this pickup or delivery?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number." I hung up and shook my head lightly. I must not be thinking straight. I dialed their number again and waited for the phone to be picked up.

"Pablo's Pizza, pickup or delivery?"

"Okay, I don't think I misdialed that time. Is this number 574-565-3327?"

"Yeah, whose number did you think this was?" the guy on the other line sounded irritated.

"Sorry, I hit my head. I must be confused…" I replied as I hung up again. I started dialing my mom's cell phone number instead. Instead of ringing, I got an electronic out of service message. In frustration, I dialed my dad's cell phone and listened. The person who picked up was some groggy teenage girl on the other end and I knew something was wrong. I apologized to the girl and mumbled, "Wrong number," before hanging up and dialing my own cell phone. Surely that hadn't changed. Right?

"Hello, you have reached Ed and Molly Schafer. Please leave your name and number and–," I hung up quickly and swallowed the lump forming in my throat. So, not only was I in Seattle but none of the phone numbers that should be working for my family or for myself were working at all. It was more than an hour before the doctor stepped in to talk about my head CT results, which he'd probably have given hours ago if he'd been less busy.

"Miss Ramsey, how are you feeling? Have you had any more nosebleeds? Anything?"

"My head is still aching but other than that, no. I've been okay aside from the obvious," I replied holding up my left arm. There was a bandage over the injured flesh on my chest as well, a salve for the burns they'd found there.

"So, we found some unusual results with the head CT. We haven't seen anything like this before and we'd like to keep you in the hospital for observation. I don't know what you know about the human brain, so I'm not going to get too detailed at the moment. Now, we ran the information that you gave us and there doesn't seem to be any record of you. Everything is coming back empty. Your health insurance, your name, your social security number. None of it is coming up in any system we run it through. If we're going to keep giving you this level of care, we need you to come clean and give us your real information. I'm going to let you think about this for a little bit and then I'm going to have a nurse check on you and you can decide if you want to be honest with us, okay?"

I felt numb inside as I nodded and he left the room. None of it was coming back to me? Not one little thing was coming up? How was that even possible? I don't know how long I just sat there, wondering at my horrible luck but I eventually stood up, grabbed the pill bottle of pain killers and the bottle of antibiotics the nurse had forgotten in the room and snatched my bag of clothes out of the drawer it'd been laid in. I carefully pulled out the IV from my right hand, which my index finger had been cleaned and wrapped up properly. I dressed quietly and smoothed the left side of my sweater over my arm, as the cast prevented me from putting it into the sleeve. Peeking into the hallway, there was a commotion that was occupying the nurses and doctors just two doors down from mine. Slowly and confidently, I walked towards the emergency room doors that led to the outside, never looking back as I found myself strolling down the street in search of someplace to go.

It wasn't terribly cold out but it also wasn't very warm. The air was damp and as the night passed, I wandered around the city of Seattle. It was around 9:00 in the morning when I found myself wandering, exhaustedly, into a public library. I sat down at one of the computers immediately and was getting ready to use the search engine when I spied the date that was pictured in the lower right corner. It was reading the proper day and month but the year was wrong. It was saying that it was 2012. _What is going on here? It's 2015._ I looked around in confusion and then searched for a national news website. It said the same thing. If it were just a glitch on the computer, I wouldn't pay it much mind, but on a national news site? I quietly walked to the librarian and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Excuse me, I hit my head yesterday and I think I'm confused. What's today's date?"

"Oh, it's September 12th, dear."

"Oh, yes, but what year? I'm sorry, I've been confused all day long."

"It's 2012, dear. Do you need to sit down? I can call for an ambulance," she offered gently as she picked up the phone.

"That's all right, I think I'll be fine in just a minute. I was just released from the hospital this morning, see?" I showed her the wrist band and the cast on the other arm. She nodded, although looked ready to pick up the phone if I asked any other odd questions. I returned to the computer and typed my name into the search engine.

Nothing came up except how popular my name was as a baby name that year. I pulled up one of the social networks I was on and searched for myself there. Nothing. I then searched for my parents and came up with nothing on either of them. I paused and then hesitantly searched for my older sister. I never spoke to her, never spoke of her and rarely even thought about her anymore. When the search results came back negative for her as well, I felt the frustration welling up in me.

I sat there, dumbfounded as search after search came up empty. It was like my family never even existed. What was I supposed to do now? I felt empty and lost. I stood up and went back to the desk with a little smile on my face.

"Excuse me, could I please use your phone? I'd like to phone a friend and see if she can come and pick me up from here."

The woman smiled and nodded. She was definitely okay with me being driven away from here. I picked up the handset and dialed Margret's number, praying that was still the same. It came up as a disconnected number, so I faked a quick message for the librarian's benefit. If she thought she had to endure me for much longer, I was sure she would call either the hospital or the police. I wasn't sure that either were good ideas. She smiled as she hung it up for me and I went back to the computer. I did one more search before I decided to get up and leave. It seemed like the only logical next step. _How do you get a new social security number legally when you have amnesia?_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own Matt, Steve, Andrew from the film _Chronicle_ or any other character introduced from this point forward unless otherwise mentioned, nor do I own anything else. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I'd be published and filthy rich, assuming people would buy my books. Enjoy.

Chapter 4

I walked into the law offices of Rickels and Madd looking every bit as pitiful as I felt. I wasn't quite sure how to pitch this half-cocked plan I had in my head but I was going to see if I could figure it out as I went. I gave a little half smile to the receptionist when she looked up. With more confidence than I was really feeling, I said, "I'd like to see either Mr. Rickels or Mr. Madd, please."

"Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked with a slightly snide tone.

"No, I don't."

"Neither of the counselors are meeting with anyone without appointments today. I can set an appointment for you but it looks like you'll have to wait until…" she paused, looking two calendar books, "Next month."

"Next month?!" I wondered to myself how the hell I was supposed to make it for one month without a driver's license, a phone, a car, a place to live…. Mimzy? How the hell am I going to make it without that grey fur ball? My chest ached from the thought of her being alone.

"Yes, next month. Friday, October 19th work for you? I have 4:00 open, the last appointment of the day."

"I suppose I have no choice, do I? Set it, please."

"Name?"

"Daenerys Ramsey."

"Phone number?"

"I don't have one." She raised an eyebrow at me.

"You don't have one?"

"No, I don't. If I have one, I don't remember it. I don't remember much from before last night. Just my name and the rest is kind of vague."

The woman looked bored with my answer, as though she'd heard it before. If that was the case, then I'd have to rethink my strategies. She handed me a business card for Counselor Colm Rickels with my appointment date and time written on the back.

"Be back here at the appointed date fifteen minutes before your appointment time or you will forfeit your appointment. Thank you."

It was obvious that I was dismissed and I felt that this woman was just about one of the rudest people I'd ever met. I nearly walked out with a huff but kept my childish outburst barely in check. As I stalked down the street, I couldn't help but keep wondering what the hell was going on. _What the hell happened to me? That pendant, that weird cloth… what did it do to me?_ Leaning against a wall along the sidewalk, I gently banged my head against the brick. _I couldn't have been sucked into a black hole. That's an impossibility of physics and science. Black holes are not something you can survive; I would have been torn apart at the atomic level._

I started back down the street, my right hand rubbing over the cast on my left arm. I was just a little cool and since I didn't have any money, I couldn't just duck into a shop and warm up with some coffee. The pain in my arm was starting to grow, so I pulled out one of my stolen pill bottles and popped a pain killer. _Where should I go?_ I wondered. I hadn't looked up homeless shelters in the area. I was beginning to feel a deep, terrifying pit in my stomach. I'd never been homeless before. I'd always had some kind of net to fall back into, whether it was my parents or my friends, someone was always there to catch me. Hopelessness began to overcome me. I'd been away from home for a day and everything was falling apart.

I was starting to get hungry and without any money, I knew that I wasn't going to last long if I didn't find a soup kitchen in the next day or so. Walking around in my snug jeans, camisole and sweater that I couldn't wear properly due to the cast, I felt a shiver run through me. It was September and I realized that Seattle was colder this time of year than Indiana. At least the temperatures would stay in the sixties for the most part during this time. Today, it had to be at least the low fifties. My clothes weren't nearly warm enough for this.

I was about to turn and ask a passing woman where the nearest shelter was when I spied something green and rectangular on the ground. I picked it up and was delighted at the $50 bill in my hands. I carefully examined it and was satisfied that it was legitimate before I found a cheap coffee shop and bought a small coffee and the cheapest bread item on the menu. I ate slowly, trying to savor each bite and each sip. I had $46 left to my name and I needed to make it stretch. I spent about an hour in the shop, just staring out the window before I stood up and walked out into the chilly air again.

* * *

It took several hours of looking and asking random people on the street before I found the homeless shelter in an area of Seattle that was trying to get better but failing miserably. It was dirty on the exterior of the building, probably because of the bum that was urinating on the side of it, and the trash littering the ground was swirling around in small little tornadoes with the wind. It was nearly as ghetto as some areas of Detroit I'd visited when I last went to see my Aunt Millie.

Aunt Millie lived two blocks over from some burnt out houses and at least one crack den but refused to move. Walking down the street to the store was a heart pounding experience for a nine year old girl, whose head had been filled with all sorts of scary stories by Mom about how dangerous Detroit neighborhoods could be, even with Aunt Millie packing her own heat. I swallowed my pride and strode up to the doors… and then turned right back around in fright when I heard a noise behind it. I made a snap decision at that point to go and find another place to sleep for the night.

It was starting to get dark and I was getting colder. I found nothing with which I could bring myself warmth in the trash cans and no light aside from those that lit the streets. My best bet, I realized, was to keep walking for now. My legs were burning from being up and about so much more often than I was entirely used to. My sides ached from forcing myself to stay in a standing position for so many hours and I dared not take one of my stolen pain killers. There were eyes in the dark watching me from the shadows. I figured that if they knew I was the new meat in the area, they'd be looking for a single drop of blood to hit the water and they'd frenzy over everything I had. I had to prove to these sharks that I wasn't chum, I was the big fish they were supposed to be afraid of. Even so, I was exhausted. I hadn't slept for at least twenty-four hours. I was already acting out of character, even for me.

I was in withdrawal from my Adderall, so I was already a little too twitchy. When this one rather disgusting looking man started to get too close, I gave him a glare as a warning. He didn't seem to mind it as he came even closer. I could see one of his hands getting ready to grab at my pocket and in response, I actually _growled_ at him. I gave a cry of indignation as he grabbed my rear instead. I slapped him as hard as I could with my right hand and felt satisfied when his nose bled. That's when someone hit me over the head and everything went dark.

* * *

I felt groggy and my head hurt like crazy as I opened my eyes. I felt someone's hands in my pockets and I used my casted arm to smash their fingers. The disgusting old man I'd slapped pulled his hands out quickly with a surprised yelp. "Get the HELL off me, you pervert!" I screamed as I slapped away the hands of other greedy, toothless bastards groping me. I felt horribly violated by being touched by these sickos but was grateful I'd thought to hid the cash I'd found in my shoes. Some of these people scurried around like cockroaches as I started maneuvering to get my heavy body off the ground. I groaned, and touched my fingers to the back of my head where a lump and a wet spot had formed. I saw the blood and glared at the dirty men.

"You all are sick bastards, you know that?!" I screamed as I stalked away. I didn't know how long I'd been out but it couldn't have been long. I still had my shoes and the money I'd hidden in them. I only had my false bravado and a little bit of pride left in me as I stumbled back towards the main roads. It was getting dark and I was getting colder. Walking along the streets allowed me to get warm in the short term but I needed a long-term solution. I found an all-night diner and stepped inside, getting a dirty look from the waitress at first. Being hit upside the head must have given me a really dirty appearance.

I got myself to the bathroom and got to see just how nasty I looked. My face had grime on it from when I'd fallen in the street and there were smudges of dirt all over my sweater. I did my best to wash my face with my one good hand and to brush the dirt off my clothes before returning to the main restaurant and taking a seat in one of the booths. The waitress with the stink eye immediately came over to give me the, "You can't stay unless you buy something," speech without even bothering to ask if I wanted anything.

"Look, I was just nearly mugged and killed. Thank you very much for asking if I was okay before you treated me like a piece of crap," I snarled at her and slapped a $10 I'd taken from my shoe onto the table. True surprise showed on her face and she actually backed up a step. "Are you going to take my order or are you going to give me another nasty speech about how I need to buy something, because I obviously have some money on the table."

"You can't talk to me like that!" she responded with obvious contempt. "I'm getting the manager!"

"You go right ahead, lady. I'll be sure to tell them that you decided I was trash before I even walked in the door."

"Jacob will think the same thing," she sneered as she walked through the 'employees only' door. I shook my head in disgust. If Jacob was the manager and he did think the same thing, I would be sure to write a crappy restaurant review. She came back through the door just a moment later followed by an older man with mocha skin and greying hair. "There she is. This homeless woman was extremely rude to me, Jacob. I told her she has to leave if she isn't getting anything but she gave me some lip."

I was exhausted as I looked at this man and he stared at me with a measured gaze. He took in my dirty clothes, freshly washed face and the bill on the table. I could see that he was seriously considering the image before him and after a moment, turned to the woman I was forever going to call Stink Eye. "Arleen? She has money and it looks like she's going to get something. Are you telling me that you're refusing to serve her?"

"Damn right, Jacob. I don't have to take that kind of bad attitude from her. She gave me some line about being mugged, you know, but she still had money on her. What kind of mugger leaves money on his victim?" Stink Eye replied with a disgusted look in my direction.

"I said that I was nearly mugged, you simpleton. You didn't even ask if I wanted anything when I walked in, you just gave me dirty looks and told me I had to scram unless I had money. I put money on the table and you get offended!" I replied with indignation.

"Is that right?" Jacob mused out loud as he looked between Stink Eye and myself before coming to some kind of decision. "Arleen, if you could please clock out and leave your name tag and apron with me, I'd be very appreciative."

"Jake?" She looked confused.

"I'd like you to clock out and leave. I'm firing you." Now my eyebrows were raised. I'd never gotten someone fired before.

"What, because of _her?_ " she cried.

"I've gotten other complaints about you and the fact that you're demanding I throw out a customer who has money to pay just because you don't like her or she isn't up to your standards of how someone should look in your mind is just the final nail in the coffin. I can't keep an employee that drives the customers _away_ with her prejudices and nasty attitude. So, please go. Now."

Stink Eye stared at me with a contemptuous sneer as she took the apron and nametag and threw them on the floor. She stomped away towards a computer nearby and probably punched in her numbers harder than was really necessary before going to the back and grabbing her purse. The phrase, "If looks could kill…" ran through my mind as she continued to give me a murderous glare on her way out of the diner. I turned to Jacob and didn't have the strength to smile.

"So you were _nearly_ mugged?" he asked. I nodded.

"A couple of bums a few streets over. Someone hit me over the head and next thing I know, I've got these perverts' hands in my pockets and some of them were trying to get into more than that. I don't think I was out too long, so they weren't able to do much to me. I'm still a little freaked about it," I replied. No sense in telling this guy where I hid my money, in case someone was listening.

"I see. You on the street now?"

"Yeah. I…" I hesitated. _He's been kind to me… Should I lie? Should I tell him the truth? Hmm… I'll just tell him the fabrication I made up for the lawyers._ "I don't know how long I've been on the street. I think something happened to me, like an accident or something. I don't remember much before yesterday. I think I know my name but I don't really know much else about myself."

"You don't know yourself?" He asked incredulously. He started to walk away when my hand shot out and grabbed his.

"Please! I really don't know myself," I insisted and then a far-off look covered my face as I finally told at least one piece of truth, "I don't know _anything_ anymore. It's all gone."

* * *

Jacob had been a little kinder to me after that statement. He got me a burger and fries, on the house for Stink Eye's bad behavior and even though he was short a waitress, he spent a considerable amount of time just talking to me like a human being. It was the first time since Steve had helped me that anyone had been so generous. Jacob was very forthcoming. He was an older man and his family had lived in Seattle since the 1960's. Before that, they were from the deep south of Alabama where his ancestors had been slaves on a huge plantation before the Civil War.

While I ate, he talked about how he had a 10 year old daughter named Emma and his wife had passed away of cancer the year before. I found out that he often would use his free lunch to bring a meal to the homeless on his way home. He tried asking me questions about myself and I found myself answering with a little honesty. I told him that I thought I knew where my family was but when I called the numbers I had for them, they were all wrong. I'd used social networks to locate them but it was like they didn't exist.

Then came the little lies I needed to school myself into remembering. If everything I know is wrong after having a head injury, who am I really? Where is my family? We talked into the wee hours of the morning. I told him that if he was looking for a new waitress, I could take on that job for him. The only problem was he would have to pay me under the table; I don't have any of the proper paperwork to get a job otherwise. He seemed to mull that over while he stirred his second cup of coffee.

"I own this diner, you know. My father opened it in 1967. He would give jobs to all sorts of people passing through. In the sixties, there really were _all_ sorts passing through. He didn't always document the people here either. I could let you work here under the table but where are you going to live?" he asked. I shrugged. I had no idea.

"I guess until I make enough to get an apartment, I'll be roughing it in the cold. I'll just have to find a thrift store around here that'll sell me a coat and boots for less than $20 and I could have a chance at making it. I think."

"You know, there's living quarters in the upstairs? My father used to have at least one person who would work here live in that little apartment to keep an eye on the place. I sleep there sometimes when I get snowed in. My wife's parents watch Emma for me, so she isn't alone when that happens. If you want, you can live there for now. I won't charge you rent or for your meals; you need to be able to get back on your feet quickly at this point, right?"

I was stunned by Jacob's kindness. He was taking on all the risk on himself with his offer. He had no idea if I was a good person or if I was just looking for a free ride but he was offering what he could anyway. For the first time since things had gone downhill for me, my eyes welled with tears. I nodded, got up and hugged this generous man. He patted me on the back and showed me to the upstairs apartment.

There was a bed with pillows and sheets on it, a small couch and an old tube TV, the kind that used bunny ears to catch a signal. The kitchen was tiny and had an oven, stove and microwave with an old-fashioned fridge. Jacob pulled all the sheets and pillow cases from the bed and walked over to a closet that revealed a stacked washer/dryer combo unit and threw everything inside to wash. In the closet next to that, he grabbed fresh linens for the bed and placed them on the bed. He showed me the bathroom, which only had a stall for a shower, and showed me where the clean towels were. I was humbled that he would put such automatic trust in me and then felt guilty for having lied at all. No one would believe that some magical pendant and cloth had put me in this predicament, I justified to myself.

He told me that the next day I could work wearing a short-sleeved shirt he'd get for me tomorrow in my size. He promised that he'd have a name tag and a clean apron ready for me. I thanked him and we both said good night. The apartment was tiny but I was just grateful to have shelter. There was a dirty clock on the wall that ticked away at the time and I realized that it was now 9:30 in the morning.

Not wanting to sully the clean sheets that had been laid out for me, I headed to the bathroom and stripped off everything I'd been wearing. Either I'd stretched those new pants out by wearing them continuously for a couple days, or I'd lost some weight again because with just a little push, they fell right off my hips. I turned to the side and noticed an old bathroom scale that probably hadn't been used since the early 80's. I pulled it out and took a step on it to see if the rotating numbers still worked. Satisfied, I put all my weight on it and watched patiently as the number crept closer to the 300 lb mark… and came up short. I _had_ lost some weight. 12 pounds in just three days, it looked like. I supposed that walking and starving were a good way for that to happen. I was now at 290 lbs.

I used my foot to push the scale away as I stepped towards the shower and turned on the spray. Everything in the bathroom and the apartment was in good repair. Jacob wasn't one to let things go bad if he could avoid it, I thought. As the water got hotter, I adjusted it to the perfect setting for me and then went to the kitchen. After looking in several cabinets, I found trash bags and a first aid kit. The first thing I did was pull out the stolen pills from the hospital. I'd hidden them in my shirt beneath my breasts, where they were less likely to be found. I popped one for pain and one antibiotic. I'd been sparing on both since I didn't want people to see I had them and think I had more than that.

I pulled the bandage off of my right index finger and stared at the wound there. It had gotten dirty and would need cleaning. I laid out all of the things I'd need for that on the counter and then turned to the trash bags. Pulling one out of the roll, I wrapped my left arm in it carefully and then found some duct tape to seal it. I knew from previous experience that I couldn't get a cast wet if I wanted it to keep my arm and wrist steady. I headed to the shower and sighed as the hot spray pelted my abused body. I carefully used my right hand to probe the lump I'd gotten from the homeless attack and I saw a little blood swirl in the water at my feet as it went down the drain. They'd gotten me good. As all of my hair got soaked, I tried to use my fingers to comb through the long mess. There wasn't much I could do without a hairbrush, conditioner and a good deal of time but I did my best.

When I was clean, I went to the linen closet and got myself a towel that barely wrapped around me half way. One of the downsides of being obese – regular towels just don't cut it for modesty's sake. I toweled my body dry and then my hair with my index finger pointed straight out the whole time. The ragged cut was pretty gnarly to look at but at least my spending time in the shower had cleared out most of the dirt that had been clinging to it. I pulled out a cotton swab and soaked it with some alcohol, bracing myself for the pain I'd feel in just a second. I let out a silent scream as the pain seared through my hand. I then put an antibiotic ointment on the wound and used the medical gauze and tape to cover it again. I braided my hair and walked over to the bed to make it up.

I collapsed into the sheets as soon as they were on the mattress and the case was on the pillow in some semblance of order. I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have. When I next opened my eyes, it was dark out the single window and my head was pounding.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own Matt, Steve, Andrew from the film _Chronicle_ or any other character introduced from this point forward unless otherwise mentioned, nor do I own anything else. I also don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, any characters from that show/movie or the idea of being a slayer. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 5

 _Deep in the Mountains of the Ukraine, 297 C.E._

Brother Vasska glanced at the path ahead of him. His journey was nearly complete. He'd been on the road for many months, going from monastery to monastery with his precious cargo. A quick look behind him into the cart showed that she was relatively undisturbed. She simply appeared to be sleeping. The girl was perhaps sixteen and though she was beautiful, her right arm bore scars that belied the tortures she'd endured. Her brown hair was cut at the shoulders only yesterday, a necessary action to keep others in the dark that she'd nearly been burned alive in the last village. They were ignorant peasants who were fearful of some plague that had wiped out a neighboring village a few weeks before. Because she bore a striking resemblance to one of the dead, they thought she'd come to condemn them all to death and hell.

He shook his head and drove his horse a little harder. The sooner they reached the _Palatul de Sange Soarelui_ , the sooner his job would be done. The girl was important; the trials she'd suffered were not yet done. The girl still had to find the _Ultima Fiul cer Sange_ before the prophecy could be completed. Brother Vasska pushed the horse to go faster. He could feel a darkness in the forest around him, in the mountains before him. Something was terribly wrong. Suddenly, a boulder crashed down on the path in front of them, startling the horse and the girl, Jana, awoke with a startled cry. Her right hand went to the pendant around her neck, an ornate ruby red sun shining down on and being encompassed by a sapphire and diamond crescent moon's light. Her left hand clutched her cloak that bore strange, unreadable letters on the hood to her body. In the distance, guttural cry broke through the tense air, uttering a single word for all to hear: _"Slayer!"_

* * *

 _Danni_

I sat straight up on the bed, startled from the dream. I noted that I was nude on the sheets. I had completely foregone putting on clothes only because it wasn't like I had anything clean to wear. It didn't take me long to switch out the sheets from the washer to the dryer and chuck my clothes in. Some snooping found me a robe hanging in the closet and a t-shirt that would be way too oversized on a thinner girl but it was just slightly big on me. I couldn't find any shorts that would be big enough for me to wear, so I just hoped that the shirt, which came to my mid-thigh, would be enough if Jacob came up to check on me. I sat down on the corner of the bed.

I don't know how long I just stared around the room, wondering at my circumstances, but when the washer and the dryer dinged, I was startled. Switching out my clothes into the dryer, I sat back down. I resumed my staring and finally settled on one of those squeezable stress balls sitting in a corner of the kitchen. I don't know why I decided to focus on that but the color must have caught my eye. It was orange with blue stripes on it. I was so tired, physically, mentally and emotionally, that although I wanted to pick it up and give it the mother of all squeezes, I didn't move. But _it did._

"Holy shit…" I muttered, frozen in place. _No, that couldn't have happened,_ I convinced myself. _I'm just tired._ As I stared, the ball twitched again and shot into the air as I jumped up in fright. "How did that do that?" I questioned no one in particular. I thought about reaching out to pick up the ball and suddenly, it started floating up as though I'd grabbed it. As I kept it up, my head started to ache and my nose began to bleed. The ball dropped to the ground and I stared at it in wonder. Then I began to laugh and went for the roll of paper towels on the counter to try to staunch the bleeding. I don't know what the hell is happening but I'm going to figure it out, and soon.

* * *

I was starting in on my fourth week of living and working at Jacob's Diner. When some of the regulars noticed that I was there all the time, they'd made the usual jokes about living where I work and I just grinned. Because my left arm was broken, I couldn't carry a tray to my customers, so Jacob let me have a trolley until my cast was ready to come off. I'd take meals out in one go around the floor and on my way back to the kitchen, I'd grab dirty dishes for the dishwasher. When I was alone in the apartment, I'd practice my new skills. I was able to pick up anything with a thought. I imagined that I was using my hands sometimes and others, I didn't need to imagine anything holding the stuff I picked up; it just started to do what I wanted. I was getting to the point where I didn't even have to think about what I was doing, it just would get done the way I wanted it.

The more I used this new ability, the stronger it would get. If I went too far, my nose would bleed and my head would hurt for a bit but I'd get stronger. I was musing at the possibilities of going out and using it to pick the pockets of some of the businessmen downtown when I saw three faces I'd not thought about since I got to Seattle. Andrew, Steve and Matt came in and sat in Kara's section. They ordered their food and they were talking animatedly. The bigger camera that Andrew had with him last time I'd seen them was gone and instead was replaced by a more modern camera that was small enough to fit into a messenger bag.

I watched carefully as I could from the other side of the restaurant, curious about their antics. Then I saw Andrew pick up a fork and Matt hesitantly putting his hand on the table while Steve filmed. Before I could wonder what they were doing, Andrew made a stab at Matt's hand. The fork buckled as though it had run into something that couldn't be seen. _They've got it too. They got this ability too!_ I walked over to them as though I was approaching people I was good friends with and jumped into the conversation.

"If you think that was cool, check this out," I said in a low voice behind Steve. He jumped in surprise and they all looked a little weirded out by my presence. I smiled and waved. "It's Danni? From the party? We went into a hole in the ground together?"

They were all quiet except for Steve for a moment and then their eyes lit up and they asked if I wanted to sit with them. I stopped and turned to look for Jacob. I was due for a break; I'd been working the early shift and hadn't stopped yet. I caught his eyes and motioned that I wanted to sit down. He smiled and gave me an 'ok' sign. I sat down and motioned towards the fork, now that it was hopelessly bent out of shape. Andrew had the grace to look sheepish as he handed it off to me.

"Here's something that's going to make you go batshit," I said and concentrated on the fork. It started bending, slowly at first, back into its original form but full of kinks where it'd been collapsed on itself. Then, I narrowed my eyes and imagined the fork's prongs being twisted into a four-part braid. They all watched and started laughing as they saw it.

"So you got it too, huh?" Matt asked. Steve was clapping me on the back and pointing the camera at me. "This is so epic!"

"Yeah, we're the like the fantastic four," I joked. I pointed to Andrew, "You're Mr. Fantastic, Matt's the Thing and Steve is the Human Torch." They all got a laugh out of that and I could swear Andrew's chest puffed out a bit when I called him Mr. Fantastic instead of the Thing. We were sitting there for a little while; they recounted how they'd been documenting their abilities with Andrew's camera and they'd just spent the morning screwing around in a toy store and in a parking lot. They asked if I wanted to join them after lunch to hang out and see what I'd figured out on my own. I was supposed to get off work at two, but I went to Jacob and asked anyway. He smiled and nodded.

"You go on, make some friends. It looks like you might know those boys."

"Yeah, the first night I remember, they helped me get to a hospital. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. I'd like to get to know them a little better and see if there's anything I can do to thank them for their help, you know?"

"Go ahead and have some fun. You work so much that I really think you need it." He held up his hand and went to his office. He came back a few minutes later with a wad of cash. "You've done an excellent job since you've been here, Danni. I'm giving you this money to go out and have some fun."

"Oh, I couldn't do that. That's not right!" I gasped and tried to hand the money back. He just pushed it into my hands again and smiled.

"You've been working hard. You deserve this."

"Thank you, Jacob. You're an amazing person, you know that right?" I asked. He grinned and shooed me out of his way. I was free to leave and the guys had already paid and tipped their waitress. I pulled off my apron and folded it behind where the others usually put theirs as well and headed over to them. We found ourselves in a parking lot on the outskirts of the city and we were all having a laugh over the antics they'd pulled inside this store. Then, as we laughed outside, Steve had an idea.

"Hey, you see that car, though?" We all turned to see what he was talking about. "The red one."

"Yeah," Matt responded.

"All right. The gum was cool. All right. You tried. It was a failed attempt though. Watch this."

We watched as the owner of the red car in question got far enough away that she wouldn't notice what we were doing and then Steve turned his whole body in that direction and stared at the car.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked.

"Watch!"

"Go, go, go," Mat whispered as Steve started moving the car with his mind. He grunted as he moved the car and we were all laughing and cheering him on. When it was around 90 feet from where the owner had parked it, facing the opposite direction and now, double parked on the other side of the parking lot, we all started freaking out. Then his nose started bleeding. He'd stretched the 'muscle' too far.

"I'm having, like a… a face period."

"Oh, man," Andrew groaned as we all laughed. It was then that we noticed that the owner of the red car was coming back and none of us could stop ourselves from snickering and giggling as she approached where her car was supposed to be parked. She turned around in confusion and when she saw where her car was actually parked, Matt and Steve started to lose it.

"Yes, it was the black guy this time," he laughed only loud enough for us to hear. I was having a hard time keeping myself from falling over from laughter. This day was probably getting to be one of the best I'd had in a while. I always thought of that day, of that necklace and the cloth it was wrapped in, when I woke up and every night when I slept. I'd come to the conclusion that, after extensive time spent looking up people that I knew should have existed, I was somehow in an alternate universe. I never existed in this universe and neither did my father or my mother. Somehow, my family never happened. I'd never felt so alone when I made that discovery. Today, hanging out with these guys and pulling pranks, I felt like I was a teenager again; I felt normal.

When it started pouring rain, we all piled into Matt's car, me and Andrew in the back seat with Steve calling shotgun. It was all just a lazy, fun afternoon until Andrew did something that no one would have expected anyone to do. We were having a blast just talking as Matt drove us back to the diner to drop me off. Then a guy in a truck, with camouflage stuff on the grille of his car, started honking and flashing his lights at us aggressively. He could have just gone around but I think he was having more fun harassing a car full of people. Andrew handed his camera to Steve, I assumed to capture the aggressive behavior of the truck driver in case he rear-ended us.

"Abracadabra," Andrew muttered and waved his hand towards the left. The truck's front end followed that path exactly and went through a guardrail and we all started freaking out. Andrew was apologizing profusely as we backed up and rolled the car down towards the wreck below. We all got out and when Andrew tried to lift the car out of the water, Matt shouted for him to stop. I agreed. For all we knew, the driver could fall out and under the truck and would be killed if Andrew lost his concentration.

Steve jumped into the water and swam over to the flipped wreck. He disappeared from sight and reappeared moments later with all of us calling out to him. He had the guy from the truck and I turned out a sigh of relief. I scrambled forward and helped to pull him out of the water with Matt. When Matt started to call the police and relay our location, Andrew flipped and started trying to pull Matt's phone away from him.

"Are you calling the cops? Matt, he's fine! Hang up the phone!"

"Andrew, leave him alone! We need to get an ambulance out here; this guy needs medical assistance now," I pulled him around to face me. "We can't just leave him on the side of the road because you don't want to get in trouble."

"But he's fine!" he retorted. I realized by his attitude that there was something not quite right about him. He wasn't as freaked out as the rest of us were.

"No, he's not fine. Look at him, Andrew," and I pointed his entire body at the man Steve was keeping careful watch over. "He's bleeding, he probably has a concussion and he could have drowned. You could have killed him."

He seemed disconnected from the whole situation. I heard the sirens approaching and I turned to him. "Look, we'll talk about this later."

We each gave our statements, all of us sticking to the story that he just veered towards the guardrail on his own and that we thought he must have lost control. We were on the scene for more than an hour before we were finally allowed to leave. In the diner parking lot, off to one corner hardly anyone used, Matt parked and we all got out. Andrew left the camera sitting on top of the car and again, I found his behavior on the whole subject to be suspect. I didn't think he really understood that his actions and consequences mattered.

That night, he said he couldn't understand why we were all so mad. Then Matt declared rules had to be made. Number one, never use it on a living thing, number two never when you're mad. Number three, don't tell anyone. Simple rules that Andrew objected to simply because he thought that no one could just declare rules. I didn't say anything to anyone about my feelings on the subject but I agreed that the rules needed to be made. I gave them the number to the apartment, since I didn't yet have a cell phone, and bid them good night. When I came in, Jacob had left me a note on the apartment door to let me know of the next week's schedule. I had tomorrow and the day after off and then I was working every day for the next five days after. I went to bed feeling oddly at peace and still very tense.

The next morning, I woke to the phone ringing.

"Danni?" I think it was Matt.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Hey, it's Matt. I got a text from Steve, he wants us to meet him somewhere. You up for it or do you have to work?"

"I'm good. If you could pick me up, that'd be sweet."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."  
"That works. Thanks. I'll see you." I hung up and started getting dressed. I pulled my long, waist length hair into a braid and then dressed in jeans and a sweater. I'd been losing weight since I got here and I'd gone from a size 22/24 to a size 18/20 in the last four weeks. I was at 262 lbs and still losing. I didn't know if it was from this new ability causing my metabolism to pick up the pace or what but I wasn't going to complain. I had just finished putting on a pair of sneakers when I heard a knock at the window. I peeked out and it was Matt and Andrew using stones to tap on the glass.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I greeted them as I slid into the back seat.

"Oh, uh, Steve wanted to show us something. We all thought you'd like to see it too, whatever it is. I don't know…" Andrew muttered. I patted him on the shoulder from my spot behind him.

"I appreciate it, thank you." I smiled as we pulled out onto the road. I settled into the seat and listened to whatever they put on the radio. I saw two empty cans of soda on the floor next to my feet and pulled them into the air. I didn't move my arms from their positions. I made the cans swirl around each other and crumple into little balls as they did so.

"Matt, Danni… Are you guys still mad at me? It seems like you guys are mad at me." Andrew asked quietly when we were only about a minute from our destination.

"No, I'm not mad, Andrew. Danni, are you mad?" I shook my head.

"I think we just have to be more careful and that we have to think before we act. You know?" Matt responded. I nodded in agreement. I didn't feel it was my place to say anything here. Andrew was Matt's cousin and it seemed to me that he would listen to him more than someone he'd only known for a few days at most. I realized that it was likely that I was only included in this excursion because I was like them and for them, it must have been something pretty cool and interesting to have someone else to join their little club, especially since I'm a girl. I frowned for a second as the car stopped.

"Hey, what happened with that hole we were in? Did anyone else go and see that thing?" I asked as I stepped out.

"No, the ground collapsed around it and there were cops and rangers cordoning the area off because it was 'unstable' ground or whatever," said Andrew. I nodded. It would make some kind of sense. Before we got out of there, it was pulling Steve's sweat right off his nose; it might have started to pull the ground in after it too.

"Where is Steve? I see his car but not him," I wondered aloud. Matt was further away and he stopped, pulling out his phone just after it beeped.

"'Look up'?" he quoted from the text. We all looked above our heads and I found myself speechless. "No way!"

"What?!" I cried. Steve was _flying_ above our heads. Fucking _flying!_ "How the hell did you do that?!"

"It's so much easier than it looks," he called down with a proud grin. Immediately, Matt was the first to try it. He fell flat on his face and got a mouth full of dirt while we all laughed. The second try, he ended up flipping himself backwards and then back into the dirt. A few more tries later and he was given the camera by Andrew. We thought for sure that Andrew was going to fall flat a few times first but he just managed to get himself and a little debris from the ground up in the air with little effort. Matt and I were jealous, I'm sure.

When it came to my turn, it was easier than I expected. I crouched down, like I was about to do a massive jump and when I sprung up, I shot into the air like a bullet. There was some serious panic for a moment where I forgot what I was doing and started plunging back to the earth before I caught myself and started a much slower descent and then tried to figure out how to maintain my altitude. Once I knew what I was doing, I didn't even have to think about it.

We all were having a laugh at Matt's expense, though by the end of the day. He'd tried to come up into the air and join us but he kept falling short. It took him a while to get up with us and we decided to see how high we could go. We were so high up in the clouds, we came back down to get coats, gloves, hats and scarves. I was very pleased that now I could just go to the store whenever I wanted. I touched down by a second-hand store and bought a thick winter coat that had a wind-breaker on the exterior, warm gloves and a matching hat and scarf set that I pinned together and then pinned to my coat. I didn't want to lose anything while I was flying.

When I got back to the apartment, I was euphoric. I could _fly._ I could do anything I felt like doing and didn't need a car to get around. The bonus to that was if I ever got home, I could just use my car for appearances and just fly to work and back. I'd never pay more than $50 a month in gas. I was just about to go to the diner below and get my dinner from there when a feeling I hoped never to feel again came over me.

My chest and left hand started burning and freezing at the same time. I pulled the sweater off, revealing a camisole underneath and looked at the skin on my chest. The burn that had been there before was healed, for the most part. The skin wasn't actually burning this time but the outline of the pendant and the chain from the necklace began to cause the skin to raise up and darken, like a tan. My left arm was still bound by the cast and I could see that some of the markings from the cloth had begun to raise up on my palm and fingers. The pain wasn't as bad as last time but it was still terrible. The space around me began to warp and I saw the black hole forming out of the corner of my eye. I cried out in terror and just as I was pulled in, I saw Jacob burst through the door. The force was so strong, pulling me in; I couldn't even reach forward for his hand. Then, darkness consumed me again.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Underworld_. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 6

I found myself falling through the air and a scream tore from my throat for a moment before I steadied and slowed my descent. I came to a stop at around 2,000 feet in the air so I could see where I was. It was night and there was a vast forest below me that was lit by a full moon. There weren't any cities or landmarks. Slowly descending, aside from the wind ruffling the treetops, nothing was moving. When my feet touched the ground, I kept in one place and studied my surroundings. The darkness was deep and encroaching. As I began to walk, the skin covered by the cast on my left arm began to itch. _Great_ , I thought, _another problem I can't deal with right now. Why did that black hole open up again? Am I home now? I know I'm nowhere near my apartment. Or Mimzy._

A pang in my chest developed at the thought of my cat. I knew that my parents would take her in if I wasn't there. We usually talked once each week and they were the types to come knocking on my door if I didn't answer my phone after the first attempt. They had a key, so it wasn't like my favorite grey fur ball was going to starve. I left a water feeder and dry food dispensing bowl out for her but she was spoiled enough that I always gave her wet food instead. I missed her dearly.

I took a deep breath and started to make my way through the underbrush. The cool air was moist and clung to my skin. I could have just flown around to look for shelter but with a bright and full moon and my brightly colored camisole, I was sure someone would be bound to notice. I was beginning to shiver from the cold. Deciding I needed to take my chances, I rose up into the air and shivered as my body propelled through the cold night. In the distance, I saw a cliff that rose above the scenery that hadn't been very easy for me to see before. As I drew closer and closer, I could make out soft orange lights coming from carved windows and balconies. I descended back into the cover of the trees and had touched down for only a moment when I heard an unearthly howl in the air. I tensed. It sounded like a large canid, perhaps a coyote or wolf. I started walking carefully through the woods towards the open land I'd spied in front of the rocky face of what appeared to be a keep.

The bushes and trees nearby rustled loudly and startled me. Maybe I was in another place where I'd find a rave, just like the last time this happened. I wouldn't hold my breath for that, though.

"H-hello?" I called softly. It was no surprise that no one came out of the bushes to greet me but the rustling did stop. That couldn't be good. I didn't step in the direction the noises had come from, instead turning towards my primary destination and moving forward once again. I kept looking behind me as I moved into the clearing. All was beginning to quiet and I was starting to get nervous. Things quieting down in a forest were never a good sign. It meant that there was a predator nearby and it was stalking something. I prayed it wasn't me. I continued to move forward and as I grew closer to the carved stone walls, I noticed that there were people in and out of what I thought to be costumes. They were mostly men, muscled and in varying stages of undress from the waist up. They wore pants that were made of some kind of coarse material or what appeared to be a soft and supple leather. One thing that was clear was that they were on alert for something. They all appeared dirty and some bore terrible scars on their bodies.

"Hello!" I called ahead and one of the costumes that looked like a large wolfen-beast turned in my direction and snarled. When it got on all fours and one of the men jumped an amazing distance from the top of the wall to the ground, I realized very quickly that it wasn't a costume. It was _real_. "Oh, shit!" I cried out and turned to run when I felt something painful tear through my shoulder and I fell to the ground. The man that had jumped from the wall easily caught up to me now that I was stricken with agony. I looked at my right shoulder and felt the blood leave my face as I saw the head of an arrow sticking through.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" I cried out just before he grabbed me roughly by that shoulder and picked me up, causing me to scream in pain. _Why didn't I just try to fly away? I know I'm pretty new to it but, still, I should have done that first._ I could answer my own question easily: I wasn't yet used to that ability and had forgotten I could do it in my haze of fear. He had a crushing grip on my damaged shoulder and when he turned me around, I was suddenly facing that beast that had been guarding the doors. I couldn't help but scream as it snarled in my face. It resembled a wolf but its snout was much shorter and it stood up on its hind legs easily; I thought it could be eight or nine feet tall. The man spoke in a language I didn't understand and the beast backed off.

He put me on my feet and kept a firm grip on my wounded shoulder. "Let me go," I half moaned and half begged. I hoped he understood me. He pushed me forward and said something in that language. Nope, he didn't understand English. Shit. As we walked back to the fortress before me, I realized that I could hear excited chattering coming from that place. When the doors were opened and the beast returned to its post, the man continued to keep a firm hand on me while a throng of people awaited inside. My previous terror was topped by these creatures.

Some of the men and women pushing forward to see me had blackened eyes with a starburst of blue in the place where their irises should have been. Some of them had mouths full of sharpened teeth bared fiercely and others were beginning to sprout hair all over. "Oh, my god. No. No. Not possible. Werewolves are not possible," I muttered to myself as the snarling throng hissed, growled and spat at me. I don't know what I'd done to deserve being spit on but I got it more than once in the face.

"Please, let me go," I tried again. "I was just looking for help. I'm lost!" The man gripped my injured shoulder harder, causing a flash of white hot pain to dance before my eyes and my feet to stumble. I was brought inside one of the many buildings and forced through a series of hallways before he stopped at a pair of double doors that seemed thick and foreboding to me. He finally let go and I fell to my knees in an ungraceful heap. He spoke to the guards at the door, also in varying stages of undress. The favorite seemed to be furs and coarse fabrics that made fitted pants that went to the knee where they were cut off and vests that covered bare chests in different designs. The guard he was speaking to nodded after a moment and opened one of the thick oak doors. I gave half a groan as I was hauled up to my feet again, this time he took me by my left arm.

I was looking up to him, muscled and olive tan skin with faint scars on his shoulders and back, "Please, let me go. I'm no threat to anyone!" My voice was strained from trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to overtake me. I was being led into a room that held about a dozen seats arranged in such a way that it was obvious to me this was some kind of counsel chamber. I'd had an interest in ancient governments when I was a teenager and had seen similar set ups in small kingdoms where counsels were vital to the king.

The floors were made of the same stone that the room was carved from and had a single strip of carpet that led from the doors to directly in front of me where the largest and most elegantly carved of the chairs were. Seated in that chair, muttering to a massively muscled man with the darkest look in his eyes and dark chocolate skin, was a tan man who was impressively lean but wasn't bulked up like the others I'd seen. He wore a long leather jacket that was covering the otherwise bare flesh of his chest and supple dark leather pants. Around his neck was a thick gold chain that carried a gold and emerald pendant that was in the shape of a circle. His hair was long, thick and brown, flowing past his shoulders to his waist and a close cut beard covered his face. His brown eyes were narrowed at me. I was pushed forward and I cried out in pain as the arrow in my shoulder was jostled. The man in the chair, obviously the most important in the room asked my captor a question. He responded in a triumphant tone and held up a bow that I hadn't noticed had been slung over his other shoulder.

The Lean Man said something, waved his hand and my captor bowed and left the room, as did the guard who'd trailed him in and the one he'd muttered to when we entered. I was bleeding slowly but steadily onto the stone floor in my hunched position where I knelt on the ground. I didn't want to pull the arrow out just yet. I wasn't sure if it had punctured anything important. I looked up at him and although I knew it was pointless, I tried to speak to him. "Please help me. I was lost in the woods and I thought I could get help here. They attacked me and I don't know why. Please, please… help me."

"And why should I help you?" I was stunned. He spoke with an accent that sounded English. "You trespassed in our lands and you may be a spy for Viktor. He has been known to employ humans for these things."

"Because I have no idea what you're talking about. I was at home and it was day time and everything went black. I woke up in the woods and I have no idea how I got there," I groaned as I tried to move my right arm to get it a little more comfortable. I decided to tell him the truth, omitting the fact I wasn't _in_ the forest when I woke up. He stood up and walked towards me in a lazy circle, looking at me from every angle.

"If Viktor sent you, he didn't do a very good job in selecting a spy. Then again, he has become desperate, hasn't he? Two hundred years and he's no closer to defeating me. Thus, if he did not send you to spy on us, that leaves me with a very interesting situation, doesn't it?"

"You're not making any sense," I responded to him. Two hundred years? He must have been nuts.

"What is your name?"

"Daenerys," I replied. I got shot with an arrow and he wasn't offering to provide medical attention any time soon, so I wasn't going to let him call me by a friendly nickname. I gasped when he was suddenly right in front of me. He put his index finger under my chin and forced me to look up. His gaze was scrutinizing my face.

"Daenerys. Where do you hale from, Daenerys? I've never heard someone speak the way you do." I didn't know how to answer him. I suppose that he'd never heard an American accent before.

"Indiana." I was starting to feel dizzy from the blood loss and swayed a little. This seemed to make him pay attention to my wound. He grabbed the feathered end and snapped it off, then pulled the shaft out in such a quick movement, I almost didn't catch it with my eyes but I felt the searing pain that came with it. I screamed and fell onto my back, trying to put pressure on the wound with the fingers of my left hand. He said something in the other language and two women entered the room, one of them carrying some pieces of cloth and a wooden pitcher. The Lean Man rose up and spoke to the women. One of them had eyes that darkened for a moment to blue and black, then turned back to human green when she turned to me. She looked younger than me and the woman carrying the cloth and pitcher looked more careworn.

"Daenerys, these are Rowena and Wynnia, her daughter. They will be attending to your wound. When they are done, you will be given some food and then we will continue our… discussion." His eyes lingered on me for a moment before he left the chamber and the older of the two, Rowena, picked me up with no effort at all. The movement made me cry out in pain. While she carried me, Wynnia placed a folded cloth over my wound and pressed. I blacked out not too long after that.

* * *

I had no idea how long I was out for but when I came to, my shoulder was bound with cloth and some herbal paste that stuck to the edges. I lay on a bed that smelled like damp hay with a lumpy pillow. I didn't try to sit up because I didn't feel like I could move that much. I heard a soft voice next to me and looked to see Wynnia there. She was holding a bowl with a wooden spoon. The aroma coming from it was not that terrible but I wasn't sure if I wanted the contents. She placed it on the plain table next to the bed and sit me up. It was painful, to be sure, but I was able to tell that the paste was somehow numbing the area.

When she picked up the bowl, I could see some kind of meat, some potatoes and carrots. She spooned a little meat and potato and then held it to my lips. It was warm and savory as I chewed it but it didn't taste quite right to me. She waited until I had swallowed before giving me more. I was able to stomach about half of what she had for me, including a few pieces she'd torn from a loaf of bread, before I shook my head to indicate that I was full. She nodded and took the food with her when she left. I was looking around the small, plain room when the door opened and the Lean Man entered. _He's true to his word,_ I thought. He seemed too big for the tiny room; he was nearly six feet tall. He sat in the chair that Wynnia had occupied and stared at me.

"Do you know my name?" He questioned with a burning gaze. I shook my head. "My name is Lucian. This place is the home I have made for my kind. Do you know what we are?"

I hesitated before shaking my head again. "No, I don't know. I've never seen anything like… you or your people before."

"My people and I are called Lycans. Mortals have called us werewolves but that is a term we do not entertain with pleasure," he was looking up and down my body as he spoke, examining my clothes with some curiosity. His eyes came to rest on mine. "You should not have come to this Keep. We do not simply take people in for a day or more and let them leave."

"You mean I have to stay?" I asked. I was tired from blood loss, so I didn't have it in me to be frightened at the prospect. Not yet, anyway. "What does that mean?"

"It means that if you are to stay, you will stay as a Mortal and you will serve my kind. Or…"

"Or…?"

"I can try to change you to be like us. You will become a Lycan or you will die trying."

"Do I have a choice in this?" I asked softly.

"You do. I won't force you to do something you do not wish to do."

"You seem pretty reasonable about all of this," I noted as I fingered the edge of the cast. I decided to change the subject. "What did this Viktor do that got you so suspicious of people?"

Lucian stiffened at the question. _Wrong question,_ I thought. He seemed to need a moment to build a train of thought before he began to speak. "He killed the woman I loved because she dared to love me. Viktor is a Vampire and so was Sonja. In Viktor's mind, our union was an abomination, so he killed her. She was with child." He looked like he had more to say but had decided to remain silent on the matter.

"Makes sense that you would be suspicious," I said after a while. His eyes remained on me. "I don't want to be a slave and I don't want to die… What does it entail, becoming a Lycan?"

"I will bite you and you will either survive the bite or you will die within an hour of being bitten. If you become a Lycan, you will become Immortal. You will become immune to disease and wounds will heal with much greater speed. You will become faster and stronger."

I won't lie. There were undeniable benefits to his offer. "What about rumors I heard about the full moon? Any truth to them? And silver?"

"We are allergic to silver," he confirmed, "and those who are new to being Lycans cannot resist changing on a full moon. But even as we change, we retain ourselves. Our minds remain unaffected by our bestial state."

I was honestly surprised at how candid he was about the whole thing. I'd always had the impression that this kind of stuff had to stay extremely secret. I looked at my hands for a moment before looking back at him. "Can I have some time to think it over? This is all so much information and I don't know if making a choice right now is a good idea for me."

"I'm quite surprised that you've been so calm about this," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I expected a much more fearful response."

"It's probably the blood loss," I replied. "I've also had a lot of other surprises over the last several weeks. I think this one is the most believable of the unbelievable things I've ever heard."

"Very well. I will give you one day to decide. I believe that is more than enough time to think about what it is you would like to do." He rose up from the chair and swept out of the room. I tried to put myself back in a prone position on the bed, by shoulders and back aching from the movement, my wound throbbing. Our conversation hadn't been too long but I'd been in that position for a while. I wanted to lay down and fall asleep for a bit. It didn't take me long to drift off.

* * *

When I woke up, my shoulder was pounding with pain, my left arm was itchy and my back and neck were sore from the odd position I'd laid in. Rowena was there, removing the bandages from my shoulder and applying more of that herbal paste. It stunk but whatever it was made of was effective. I didn't bother with trying to ask if it was day or night. Once she was done, she left me alone. Three was a pitcher with water and a metal cup. I poured some and then took a drink of the water. It tasted filthy to me but I choked it down. I was surprised when the door opened and Lucian entered.

"Has it been a day already?" I asked.

"No, it has not. However, I think that you made your decision hours ago, when we were talking." He was moving about the tiny room slowly. I watched his progress as he came back to the chair. His every move was calculated, I could see that just from the few interactions we'd had. Either way, he was right. I'd made my decision. I didn't want to die, I didn't want to be a slave and I didn't _want_ to be a Lycan. However, if I tried to make my escape, I would be hunted for the rest of my life, perhaps by Lucian, perhaps by this Viktor he'd told me about. Who knows how long I would be here? I just wanted to survive to see my family again.

"I did make my choice. I'll try to change."

He sat on the bed, facing me instead of the chair. He pulled me to his chest and the awkward position caused me to let out an involuntary squeak. He seemed amused by that. Lucian pushed the hair that was clinging to my left shoulder and neck out of the way and smoothed it down. He brought the crook of my neck and shoulder to his mouth and I didn't have time to steel myself before he bit into my flesh. His free hand had moved to my mouth to stifle the cry that never came; instead, a gasping sound escaped me. It seemed to last forever but I was so grateful that it didn't. His bite was a burning pain that seared through me. He laid me back down and I was writhing on the bed.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked, wiping the blood from his lips on one of the spare cloths on the table. I nodded. If this went south, at least he'd be there for it. He sat in the chair beside the bed and he began to talk to me. At first, it was just what I'd experience if I survived the first hour after the bite. I'd have increased senses and when I changed, everything would get even more intense. While he talked, I had started to sweat. When an hour had passed, Lucian was still talking to me about how in a short while, I'd be healing faster. Then it got to the part that I was a little squeamish about. Apparently, I could eat normal food but to have the full capabilities to heal fast, I would need to consume fresh meat.

"I never asked," I said softly, "What year is it?" when he'd come to a pause. He narrowed his eyes at me and then responded.

"1438."

"Oh."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Underworld_. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. WARNING: Some sexual content will be discussed, though not specifically described. Discretion is advised.

Chapter 7

 _Romania, 300 C.E._

Walking through the quiet village, she felt ill. She'd been hiding in this place for the last four months, biding her time and hoping that Brother Vasska didn't find her here. Not yet. Unable to hold it back, she ran behind the tavern and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground and spat out the aftertaste in disgust. She used the bottom corner of the apron she wore to wipe at her mouth and nose for any residue before straightening up and walking back to the main square. It wasn't too terribly early for there to be people out and about but being that it was the day of the Holy Sabbath, people were doing the minimum of chores required before the gathering at the church later. Jana had fit right in with these people after she'd arrived, though some who claimed to be more pious than others had wanted to ostracize her for her condition.

Rubbing her swollen belly thoughtfully, Jana continued towards the church. She'd been living with the baker and his wife since she arrived and in return, she worked for them making treats she'd helped her family make when she was a girl, before they had taken her. There were few things that she remembered better than her childhood in the bakery with her father and two brothers. Her mother had died of some plague that had swept through their village when she was an infant and her father had been intent on teaching her the secrets to his most delicious breads. When Brother Vasska had arrived in their bakery all those years ago, her father had refused to give her up. Even when he was given enough gold pieces to live lavishly for three lifetimes, he had refused. Jana was the most precious to him because she looked so much like her mother and to see her every day was his reminder that his beloved's spirit was nearby, watching. Her brothers had felt the same.

When she had awoken one morning in the wagon he drove, she had questioned the Brother. He told her that he had a sacred mission and that she was one of many children that were Potentials to be Chosen. Brother Vasska told her that he had left the gold he'd offered in the place of her on her sleeping mat in the home and had left in the dead of the night. They had been riding to the monastery that his order, the Order of the Watchers, resided in. They would take passage on a ship in the month it would take to get to the coast and then, she would be trained in the deadly arts.

The memory caused Jana to pause briefly in front of the doors of the church. It was a warm and sticky day already, even with the sun having just barely been in the air for an hour. Behind her, there were others who were getting ready to enter the church and she followed the growing throng, choosing to find a place near the back to wait for her generous hosts. The baker and his wife were almost always the last ones there. They were very hard working people, even though they were not supposed to work on the Sabbath, they ensured that there was enough bread in their store for the inevitable crowds that would come for their loaves of bread for their meals. She was adjusting herself on the hard seat when someone sat next to her and put their hand upon hers. Surprised, Jana looked to the owner's face and froze. It couldn't be.

Brother Vasska stared back at her in even measure. "You neglected your duties as the Chosen one, Jana. And for this?" he gestured at her swollen belly.

"Vasska. Let me go. I will return to you when my child enters this world, not before. I swear it," she whispered fiercely. Her eyes were dancing around the room, looking for some kind of reprieve.

"You know what must be done when that child enters the world. You know you were to remain untouched for your whole life once you were chosen. Things such as this cannot be allowed to happen; it is a distraction from your holy mission."

"Then perhaps you should not have played out your passions of the flesh with me," she spat, standing up and wrenching her hand from his grasp. "You are the one that lost sight of the mission. You said you loved me and you broke the rules for me, Vasska. You broke a lot of rules. I'm not the only one of us that was to remain _untouched._ You had a vow of celibacy, as did I."

"I was weak, Jana. I have to live with that," he replied as he stood as well. There were some people staring back at them and Jana didn't want to endure their gazes anymore, so she stepped outside and hurried away from the church, heading into the woods. Vasska followed swiftly behind. They were deep enough into the forest that when he finally caught up to her, he grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"Leave me be!" Jana cried out as she took a step backwards. "You say that you were weak? You took me to your bed many times, Vasska. You never explained to me that this could be the result if I stopped bleeding the woman's curse every month. I was your charge, you were meant to tell me the ways of the world so that I could fight the damned and be knowledgeable and you denied me this knowledge because you didn't think I deserved to know? Or did you fear that I would want something more than a life of battles that leave me scarred and damaged? When my belly began to grow, did you feel the pride a father was supposed to feel or did you immediately think that I must take an elixir to rid myself of it?"

Her words were like a slap to the face to Brother Vasska. She was the oldest Slayer that they had on record, having met her twentieth year and he had always felt pride that his instruction, his connection to her had been a part of that. He had been in his eighteenth summer when he had been led to her by the Order. She had been a child of ten years and beautiful even then, but he had always thought of her as a younger sister. Vasska had taken his vow of celibacy to heart. He'd never been privy to the passions of the flesh. His father was one of the heads of the Order and had fathered several daughters and sons over the years, but he was the eldest and, as such, held himself in higher regard and standard than the others. When Jana had been Called as the Slayer, she'd been training with all the Potentials and he had been her primary trainer. He had watched her blossom into a beautiful woman and it wasn't until after they had nearly died together three years prior that something had awakened in his heart.

* * *

 _Danni_

I maintained my crouched position and gazed down at the populous below. I longed for the Keep and the open fields, the forest I'd come to love. It was where I'd really blossomed and I missed it dearly. The night we fled, the night so many had burned still haunted me. Lucian, the man who had become as a brother to me, comforted my wounded heart even as we ran. He'd tied a piece of the shirt I'd given around the torn flesh of his arm, where he'd cut off the brand that Kraven needed as proof of his death. The coward hadn't even had the stomach to do it himself. I'd harnessed my inner beast long ago and had even learned to move objects with my mind in that form, but I preferred my human state by far.

Lucian came to a crouch beside me, staring down at the humans that moved below us. We'd fled Hungary and had come to England. The vampires and their vast resources had spread far and wide but here, in England, they were not yet in full force. I glanced at Lucian sideways from my position next to him.

"Do you intend for us to stay here or will we be taking our chances in the New World?" I asked softly. It was 1746 and I knew what was in store. In my home universe, which I had discussed with Lucian after a while and secretly called it Prime, my ancestors had fought in the Revolutionary War and my mother had registered us in something called the Daughters of the Revolution. I was somewhat eager to be a part of those events and had voiced my desire to go to the new world many times. Lucian smirked.

"You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?" he asked. I let out a light laugh. We'd been as siblings for more than three hundred years. He knew me well.

"I would. I think there's a chance for our kind to flourish there. I believe that the natives have a word for what we are and might even welcome us."

"What do they call Lycans in the New World?" he asked with his eyes trained back to the streets.

"Skinwalkers. They have legends of men that can become wolves and call them Skinwalkers. I think that they would be fascinated by us. Besides, you know that I know more about the New World than anyone. It stretches for nearly 3,000 miles from the east coast to the west coast. Our kind would have the time to gather our strength and increase our numbers. We could come back to this world as a trickle at first and then as a waterfall. They would be drowning in Lycans and when your plans with Kraven come to fruition, they will have no choice but to concede."

Lucian appeared to mull my words over for a while, even after we returned to the underground places that we had found in the city. I knew he didn't want to be so far from the lands he'd been born to. He wanted to be reminded of Sonja and I think, in some ways, having me around made him forget about her for a little while now that the place she'd called home was gone. All of the things that he'd preserved that belonged to her were burned away in the fire that Kraven had set to cover their tracks. He hadn't the time to grab even one of the pins or brushes he'd maintained in her quarters. He'd ordered that no one be allowed into that room, ever. Only he would wander through her things, enjoying the scent she'd left behind. I'd caught him in there more than once when he thought he was alone. She was his soul mate and he'd been forced to watch her die. That had been part of why I'd decided to let him change me into a Lycan.

Days had passed with us either scouting the city for signs of the Vampires or hunting for food. Some of the lower Lycans would hunt humans. I would travel into the forest and hunt venison and some of the smaller creatures. I would usually have more luck than others since I could lift them out of their trees and pull them directly to me without moving too far. I kept silent about my desires and after a short time, he finally came to me with some questions, which I answered to the best of my knowledge. This Revolutionary War would be the perfect way for us to gather more Lycans without undue bloodshed. I had it perfectly envisioned in my head. Female Lycans could situate themselves in with the triage tents. We would create more of our kind biting those who were badly wounded and by hiding our bite in the terrible wounds they would have anyway. If they died, they would just be the casualties of war. If they lived, they would join us and continue fighting for the America I knew would be coming.

I even explained about the Civil War and the bounty it might bring us in potential warriors. We could have hundreds more in our ranks by the time Henry Ford started his first automotive plant. It was perfect. I was clear in stating that our people should only turn former slaves and Union officers during that one. I didn't want to take any chances. Lucian was in agreement on that one. He didn't want former slavers in his ranks.

After a few weeks of waiting, a ship that was gearing up to take people to Boston was ready to set sail and I'd done all the planning. Our numbers in London were in the low hundreds, and we wanted to have a sizable number of people in Europe to prepare for when we would return, so we decided that we would take two hundred people for our mission. One hundred women and one hundred men, not including Lucian and myself. I booked passage on four separate ships using the last of the silver that we'd managed to take with us when we fled the Keep. Although it had burned our hands to touch it, we wrapped up much of it to take with us and used it to fund some of our activities.

Booking passage on four ships for our people and obtaining more proper clothes so that we may hide in plain sight had been taxing. Some of normal clothes were ragged and stained. I insisted that if they wanted to take those with them, they were more than welcome to do so, but it must be packed away. When we found our new bearings, we'd hide these clothes away instead and be free to do as we pleased. When that was agreed upon, we were finally able to make our moves.

Lucian, Raze, for whom I'd procured forged documents declaring him a free man, myself and our first group had boarded our intended ship with minimal baggage, much to the curiosity of the captain and some of his men. Over the centuries, I'd lost all the excess weight I'd had and now I had a much more athletic body. My bodice clung to the curves of my hips and bound my ample breasts so that they were pushed up and very noticeable. The hooped skirts I wore, though gorgeous, were annoying to me as I had trouble not bumping into everything. I longed for the leather pants and corset I normally would wear. This was more than a little irritating.

The voyage was tedious. Raze and I often would entertain the idea of becoming partners, however the former prince and I did not get along on the finer points of a relationship. Don't get me wrong, the sex we'd had over the years was amazing. I supposed our biggest differences stemmed from the fact that he thought that females should be subservient to males and I grew up in a society that pushed females to be independent and free. That didn't stop us from spending most of the voyage to what would become America in coitus. We often would find areas of the ship that weren't occupied for a moment and would slake our lust vigorously. There were some areas of the ship that were reported as having taken some damage from rough seas. I might have had a hand in that from grasping onto something too hard in climax. Ours was a complicated relationship.

When we finally arrived in Boston, I was ready to disembark the ship. The sights of the city before the cars and Starbucks were astounding to me and I could see amusement on Lucian's and Raze's faces by the awed quality my face had taken on. For them, it was just another new city being built of many we'd seen over the centuries. For me, I was watching history in the making. I looked to the harbor and knew that in a few decades, I'd be eagerly looking for signs of the Boston Tea Party taking place. I wanted to witness it for myself. I wanted to witness as many major historical events for myself. This was part of my goal in coming to my homeland. There were some benefits to knowing the path the world would take.

* * *

I walked lazily down the street, looking for a distraction. I'd delivered on my promises to Lucian many times over. The War of 1812 had provided a few dozen recruits and the Revolutionary war had given us a few hundred men and women to add to our ranks. All of them, be they British or American, had been grateful for the chance to live. The Civil War had been trickier all around. We ingratiated ourselves on both sides of the conflict but focused on the Union soldiers and former slaves. In one instance, I led an assault on a plantation in Louisiana and when we tried to turn the slaves that were willing, all but eight of them died. Our numbers in America had been amazingly high. The Vampires had waited until the mid-1800's to begin coming to our shores but in that time, they had missed out on the opportunities we'd taken advantage of. Incursions were rare between us; we'd had a lot of time to think about our tactics and reign in our more disruptive elements.

"Are you ready to go back home?" Lucian asked me the night before. He'd gone back to Budapest a long time ago while I'd opted to stay and oversee our interests here. He'd recruited a biochemist, an Austrian scientist by the name of Singe, to work out an idea he'd had. The research they'd conducted related to the virus we carried and I had been interested to hear of the progress.

"Will you tell me everything if I do come back?" I asked him in return. Our phone conversations were always short but fruitful.

"I will. You will reap the full benefits of this research at the same time I do. Daenerys," he stated softly. He had never liked calling me Danni and I found I didn't want him to. He made my name sound good when he spoke it. "Daenerys, Singe is telling me we're close. We have only a few more names on the list and I want you here when we find the right one."

"The right Corvin?" I questioned. "What if they don't exist? What if the last mortal child of Alexander Corvinus produced progeny that didn't get the dormant virus? What then?"

"I know that this person exists. I _know it._ We have to be patient. Just come back home and help me. You know I value your insight to all of this; I would have it no other way."

I sighed. "Dear brother, I will do as you ask." I could hear the smile in his voice as he gave me the address they were working from, roughly. They'd taken to the underground of subway tunnels and industrial parks and had used them as a staging ground. I said my goodbyes and then headed for the nearest airport. I had some people in the baggage and security section that would find me an appropriate flight and make the arrangements for me. Many of the Lycans in New York City knew me and would actually bow down if I were to cross their path. I was, in their minds, Lucian's sister and princess. After Raze, I was second in command when it came to military operations under Lucian's care. My place was ensured after I used what are now considered modern tactics in an old world to fight our enemies as they followed us.

Rowena, an old friend and confidant approached me a few hours before I was set to leave. She had procured a false ID and passport that would fool anyone who cared to check it, a small pack of clothes and my plane ticket. I had learned Hungarian after Lucian turned me and taught her my modern English in return.

 _"Good tidings, my friend. How fares Wynnia and her cub?"_ I asked in her mother tongue. She grinned at me.

 _"Wynnia and Joseph are fine. Her mate's death has been difficult but they are handling it,"_ she replied. Wynnia's mate was a Lycan by the name of Rudolph, or Rudy for short. He'd been among the men I'd changed back in 1779 in a triage tent, where he'd suffered major trauma from cannon fire hitting a couple of yards from where he and a few of his men had been taking refuge from the firefight. They'd run out of ammunition and had been applying guerilla war tactics over the last few days against the company of soldiers headed towards a small town in Virginia. His wounds had been mostly internal rather than external.

 _"I did not realize that he had passed from us. Give her my sympathies and love,"_ I replied softly. She nodded and I thanked her for her assistance. I headed to JFK and passed the security checks easily. My passport was perfect and so were all of my other IDs. I was pleased that whomever set up the ticket for me had opted for business class. I was amongst the first to board the plane and I enjoyed the Jack and Coke they mixed for me as soon as I sat down. I closed my eyes and settled back into the reclining seat. I was going to sleep through this flight. I could have flown myself there without going through all of this but I knew that I was being monitored. The Vampires had no idea of my extra abilities and I had no intention of providing them with that information before I was good and ready. Sometimes, being the highest-ranking Lycan in America could be a serious pain in the ass.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Underworld_. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. WARNING: Some sexual content will be discussed, though not specifically described. Discretion is advised.

Chapter 8

The flight was long and arduous and no amount of Jack and Coke could erase the in-flight films they'd scheduled. First, it was something about a vampire in Brooklyn who was trying to woo someone into being his immortal bride and failed. Then the next one had been some comedy that fell flat and didn't even make me crack a smile. By the third film, I'd been ready to break open the door and let the plane go down in a fireball. When we landed, I went through the checkpoints and had my passport stamped in the appropriate places. It wasn't long before I was wandering the streets of Budapest and looking for the address Lucian had given me.

I found an entrance to the Den and met some faces I didn't recognize immediately. It seemed that Lucian and Raze had been busy recruiting and all of them were male. It was something I'd be very keen on discussing with my old friends. They knew I was a huge proponent of women being a part of everyday pack functions. It wasn't long before I found Lucian's biochemist, Singe. He was a gaunt sort of man with round glasses and a narrow gaze and he had just pulled a syringe from a man's neck. The man was hanging by his arms in the dirty room adjacent to the lab that was set up, as ramshackle as it was. He looked up as I entered and gave a snort. He obviously didn't know who I was.

"Where is Lucian?" I asked softly as I looked at the wall covered with photos, names and a crisscross of lines tracking lineage.

"Lucian is none of your concern, child. I suggest you leave." His voice was heavily accented. I glared and while picking the dirt from under my nails, pushed him back from the test tubes he was getting ready to work with. I had him pinned against the wall about five feet from where I was standing. His eyes were wide with shock. "It's you. You're Daenerys."

"Yes, it's me. Do me a favor, don't patronize women just because you think you're better for having a penis. I can easily separate you from it without even getting my hands dirty." I let him drop from where I'd pinned him and gestured back to the beakers and test tubes. He hesitated before cautiously walking over to the syringe and injecting some of the blood into a clear fluid and stirring. It changed color and he frowned.

"Negative. I believe Lucian will be interested in knowing this when he comes back."

"Where is he now?" I didn't miss that he had yet to comment on my threat. I took a step forward towards the wall with all the names as he crossed off James T. Corvin from the list.

"Raze failed in gathering one of the people on the list. Lucian decided to obtain this Michael Corvin himself."

"How long ago did he leave? I was expecting him to be here when I arrived."

"He left about an hour ago. Once we have Michael, I can test him for the Corvinus Strain and we can finally see if it is the catalyst."

"Lucian didn't give me much information about what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish. I know it has to deal with creating a hybrid."

"Yes, and the Corvinus Strain is the key. I believe that it will, even in its dormant form, provide the bridge to creating hybrids when injected with vampire blood. I've isolated the specific RNA of the virus in both vampires and Lycans but the problem is that both have been fundamentally altered to produce only vampires or Lycans. Having the virus in its pure form would allow for a perfect blending of the species."

"You'll be able to test this theory when he has Michael Corvin, then?"

"If not him, then one of the others on this list. Some of them have been difficult to locate. Michael is close to the bottom of this list in the country. We've been focusing our efforts here because it is likely that the descendants of Alexander Corvinus never left."

I was about to ask another question when Lucian swept into the room empty-handed. Singe raised an eyebrow, as did I. He was covered in blood on his right side and his chest had the sticky red stuff tangled in the smattering of hair there. He'd gotten paler over the years, having spent a significant amount of time avoiding the sunlight in order to escape the vampire's notice. His hair was still wild about his shoulders with some if it swept back to keep his face clear.

"A second escape? Impressive. Perhaps Raze was not overstating matters."

"Raze didn't bring back this," he smirked, producing a small vial of blood. He glanced at me and a genuine smile graced his lips. Singe chuckled as he took the vial from Lucian's gloved hand. Then he looked up, looking somewhat concerned.

"If Michael is indeed the carrier, the vampires could – "

"Relax, old friend. I've tasted his flesh. Just two days till full moon. Soon, he will be a Lycan. Soon, he will come looking for us," he interrupted. His confidence filled me with hope. Another addition to the ranks, if all went well, and perhaps we could end this tiresome war. Lucian turned to me. "Daenerys. It is good to see you, my dearest one."

"I'm glad to have arrived in time to see if we have what you've been searching for," I responded, wrapping him in a brief embrace. I stepped back and noticed Singe seemed unnerved that I had the gall to hug a man he undoubtedly viewed as a superior and stoic. My eyes returned to Lucian's to see he had a look there I'd never seen before. Behind me, Singe tested the blood in one of his beakers.

"We have a positive result," Singe broke our gaze. We turned to see that the sample Singe had dropped and stirred into the beaker had turned a much darker color than the previous samples had. It was nearly black. He held up the vial of blood and took a small sample on the tip of a glass tube and smeared it onto a small glass plank. He placed a thin plastic square over it and put the slide into the microscope. He took another slide and smeared it with Michael's blood and with vampire blood and then peered at the results. He had a small television monitor hooked up to the microscope, which had a camera as well, and flipped it on so that we could see what he did without having to take turns squinting. On the screen, the blood cells were touching and then combining. Instead of having single platelets, they combined to form a tri-celled platelet, unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

Lucian grinned and then tapped my arm, indicating he wanted me to follow him. We went through a maze of tunnels and rooms until we found one that must have been his. It was away from all the others and far more private, as it had an actual door versus the plastic flaps that were everywhere else. He had a simple queen bed and the bedding was in various shades of black and grey. He had a desk where some papers were randomly shuffled, a couple of glasses and a crystal decanter that contained an amber liquid. In the corner was a small table and two chairs that were covered in a worn leather. Another door in the room led to another tiled room where I spied a shower stall and a full bathroom that likely lay beyond. He gestured to one of the chairs, which I took gladly, and handed me a small cup. He poured some scotch into it and then made a glass for himself before settling in the other chair.

"So you found the Carrier and he's well on his way to becoming one of us. Congratulations, Lucian. I'm glad all your hard work is paying off." I toasted him and then knocked back my glass. It was smooth and warm going down my throat. He pulled out the good stuff.

"How are our affairs in the States?" He asked pleasantly, a small smile on his lips. I'd not seen him in so long and to see any smile was a welcome relief.

"Going well. I recruited a number of scientists at a facility that does genetic testing and tasked them with developing a method for discovering what humans are more susceptible to transitioning into one of us and surviving the process. They've had some success in a few studies and lab tests. They wanted to get permission to gather a few live subjects and see if they're correct in their assertions. I gave them the go ahead. The goal is to convert most of the rest of this facility and the rest of the company to meet our needs."

"Interesting and clever. What is this company?"

"Antigen. I think they'll come in very handy in the next few years, if this works. We could have a way to clone this Michael's blood and distribute it and vampire blood to all of our kind inside of a year, I think. The last report I received stated that they were close to identifying a specific antigen in the humans that determines whether or not they would survive the Lycan or Vampire strains. If they can isolate it and shut it down, we could convert anyone we wanted. Doctors, politicians, anyone at all. It would give us the leverage to keep the vampires in check and keep us alive if things go wrong with this treaty you and Kraven are creating."

He looked entirely impressed with me. I was pleased as well. I nodded to his bloodied face.

"Do you intend on staying like that for the rest of the night or were you going to clean up?" He chuckled and drained his glass before standing up and taking off his long coat and his ruined shirt underneath. I'd always admired Lucian's physique but I'd never made a move. I always played disinterested because I knew he still did and always would love his long-dead Sonja. It was my own little secret reason for never getting emotionally involved with others I'd slept with over the centuries. I had fallen victim to the oldest problem in the book: I wanted what I couldn't have.

My eyes barely raked his body before I turned to the door to leave. I'd seen him bare skinned before, and he had seen me, but I felt he still deserved his privacy. A strong hand covered mine and I felt him behind me, closer than I'd remembered him ever coming to me since he'd turned me so long ago. His breath tickled my ear as he whispered to me, "I've missed you, Daenerys. I didn't know how much I would miss you until I left. Our conversations on the phone were not nearly enough."

A shiver of pleasure went up my spine at his words and I swallowed slightly to keep my composure. Lucian had never shown an interest in me before, so this was entirely new to me. We'd been together for centuries as dear friends, and I'd always thought that he felt like I was a sister to him. I'd fallen for him nearly four hundred years ago; I had always been moved by his strength and resilience, his charm. Although much of our time was spent fighting and running, there'd been moments of laughter and joy for us all. When the Keep had been burned down, I'd been heartbroken that we'd had to leave and I could tell that he had been too. Nothing could be taken with us, save for the pendant that he wore to remind him of Sonja. I'd had nothing to begin with except for the place I'd been reborn.

He slowly wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest. My heart was pounding in my chest and I knew he could hear it. I turned my head slightly to look at him and his eyes held that same look I'd seen just a short while earlier. I took my other hand and let my fingers caress his cheek and run through his trimmed beard. I whispered his name softly and he kissed me. My heart danced in my chest. Through my clothes, where he'd pressed his chest to my back, I could feel his heart thrumming wildly in his chest too. I felt relief that my desire wasn't one-sided anymore but I knew there was still much to be done. I broke free for a shuddering breath of air and reluctantly stepped away.

"I'm going to see if there's anything I can do to help us get the Carrier back," I had no idea how my voice stayed steady but I was grateful that it did. I was off balance now and needed to get my head on straight. His hand dropped from mine on the door handle, though his other hand on my waist remained until I pulled away and stepped through the threshold. Our eyes met and I saw a fire there I'd never known would burn for me as I walked away.

I entered what appeared to be an armory and glanced around to see what there was available. I needed to arm myself if I was going to be of use around here. I found two small semi-automatics that fit well in my hands and would be easily concealed by the knee-length leather jacket I wore. Unlike the others I saw, my jacket was still very new and hadn't seen very much action. Although the vampire coven in America was irritating, they weren't nearly as troublesome as the one here was. This one had been here from the start and had connections everywhere. I had grown our den from just a few hundred to several thousand across the country and with Antigen's help, we could double or triple that number in short order.

I turned to grab extra clips of UV rounds and found Raze staring at me. I grinned and he grinned back, enveloping me in thick arms. His chest rumbled with a chuckle and his deep voice was comforting to hear as he expressed his happiness to see me again, although he remained reserved. I wondered if Lucian had ever been jealous of the sexual relationship I'd always had with his other lieutenant. If he'd been feeling something for me for a while or if it just developed over the last hundred years.

"Are you getting ready for something?" He asked in a gruffer voice than usual. He eyed what I had on me and, with an appreciative grin, gestured to the weapons at my sides. I smiled and shook my head.

"Not unless there's a mission out there for me to complete. I just want to be fully prepared when we have something to do. Did you have something in mind?"

"We have something to do for tomorrow night," he replied. "The vampire Council and the current ruler of the covens, Amelia, are arriving by train. Kraven," he spat the name and I agreed with his verbal assault on the name, "is going to send his own men to 'escort' her to their Coven. Except we will be there as well. His men will stand by to make sure no one escapes and we will be draining Amelia of her blood."

"If we are making hybrids, won't any vampire's blood work?" I questioned. He shrugged. Raze was smart but he never took an interest in how science works. For him, if it worked, it was good with him. "I guess that's a question for Singe." I stuffed the extra UV clips into slots on my belt and gave Raze a peck on the cheek and a wink as I walked away. Flirting with him came naturally. We'd been screwing each other's brains out off and on for so long, it was a part of how we interacted.

"Do you want to be part of the raid?" he called to me as I departed.

"Of course I do, Raze. Killing a vampire Elder is like music to my ears!" I called back as I headed back for the laboratory. It didn't take me long to get there and when I did, Lucian was there as well. He took note of my armed appearance but said nothing. Instead, he was speaking to two Lycans who were dressed like police.

"Go back out there and find him. Check hospitals, the morgue, his apartment, though I doubt he will be there again. We need him if we are to make this work," he barked at them. Singe was in another room taking down the poor, dying James T. Corvin. I had sympathy for his plight but it appeared he had been either bitten or injected with Lycan blood in an attempt to turn him. He didn't seem to be surviving the transition. Either way, it was likely he was only bitten an hour ago. Based upon his overly sweaty body and pale complexion, he was about to expire. Poor bastard. Lucian turned to me. He had on a clean black shirt, his skin was clean of blood and his hair was slightly damp. He'd put his leather coat back on. I couldn't deny that there was a chill to this dank place.

"Nice and clean now, are we?" I joked and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Did you need me to go with them? They don't exactly fit in with the part you've assigned them to play."

"No, they will be fine," he replied. I could tell he wanted to talk with me but I changed the subject before he could prompt another private meeting.

"I heard that Raze was going to attack the convoy coming from America tomorrow night. Is it imperative to use Elder blood? I thought we could just grab any blood off the street and use them."

"We could. Part of our arrangement with Kraven is to eliminate the vampire leadership so that he can take over and we will do that by going after the weakest link. Amelia is an Elder and she is strong but she's become overly confident. Decadent. We kill her first, then Kraven kills Viktor and Marcus in their sleep," he explained to me. I nodded.

"That plan is genius," I replied with a grin. "I don't suppose you've told Kraven about your plans for making us all hybrids, did you?"

"Of course not. He's a coward but not a moron," he laughed. "Kraven would try to stop me. As of right now, all he knows is that I am after Michael. I'm content with him thinking that I'm simply recruiting more to my cause."

* * *

I'd decided to head above ground and get the lay of the land. There had been so many changes since I'd last been here. It'd been centuries. Finding a building that had roof access, I stepped outside and basked in the sunlight for a moment before wrapping a scarf around my neck and buttoning up the leather jacket a bit. I took off into the air, rising higher and higher until I was high enough to see the sprawling city beneath me. The air was crisp and cool this high up and bit at my skin. I made sure that I stayed high enough in the air that the average person looking up couldn't see me unless they looked for me. As I drifted above, I noticed the nicer areas versus the darker areas, covered in graffiti. It seemed to me that it was highly unfair that my people were relegated to living in squalor while in both America and here, they lived in a mansion. A fucking _mansion._

I was stressing myself out too much. In a split-second decision, I took off and headed for some clouds that were beginning to close in. My hair, which I'd maintained at being nearly mid-thigh, whipped around me freely as I flew for the sheer joy of it. It'd been at least several months since I'd done this. I had taken Lucian with me into the sky once, about thirty years after I had been changed. I'd decided that I would have to break Matt's rule about telling someone about myself at some point and Lucian was the one I told. It took me some practice to pull both of us through the air at the same speed but often, we would use my ability for reconnaissance against vampire strong holds or for surprise attacks to make it look like we had greater numbers than we really did when we used bows and spears from a distance. It had been a tactical advantage that I'd gladly put at his disposal. Vampires that had seen me use this gift hadn't lived to tell about it. I'd been known amongst my kind to carry three swords into battle: one for me to wield by hand and two that I would use with my mind. I was very efficient that way.

One thing I had discovered after I had become a Lycan was that my telekinesis didn't come as a benefit to those I turned. I theorized that it might transfer to any children I might have but that it couldn't pass with the Lycan Strain. I sort of felt relief at that knowledge. I didn't want to have to deal with someone becoming disturbed, like Andrew. Before I'd been pulled through to this universe, I'd had a sense that Andrew was becoming unhinged. He'd severely injured someone with a wave of his hand and hadn't seen the problem. He was damaged goods from the start and I'd seen enough movies and read enough comics to know that someone like that would have a strong inclination to abuse his powers and try to rationalize it away. It was only a matter of time before something happened to make him snap. I'd heard from Matt during one of our conversations that Andrew's mom was horribly sick. She sounded like the only person that could keep the kid from going down that dark path. I shuddered to think of what could happen if she died.

I broke away from my reverie and banked left to circle back to where I'd come from. I'd been in the air for quite some time and now the sun was getting lower in the sky and rain was beginning to pelt me from all directions as it fell down to the ground below. I found a building close to where I'd taken off from and lightly touched down. I had every intention of joining Raze for tonight's raid. Making my way through the streets, I looked around for anyone who might be spying before ducking into an open hatchway and navigating the tunnels to the Den. Raze and some others were getting ready for the incursion. I was looking forward to trying out this UV ammo. I'd not gotten the chance since Lucian had acquired it.

Almost as though my thought had called him, he appeared in the doorway to the armory, pressing aside the plastic flaps. Lucian's gaze met mine and butterflies stirred inside me.

"Daenerys, I need you with me, if you please," he called to me and held the flap open for me. I narrowed my eyes in question but followed him. I'd been avoiding him for hours, trying to clear my thoughts but they always went back to him, back to that soft and slow kiss. It's why I went to see the city from above in the first place. We rounded a corner where there were several men, including Singe, dressed and ready for a fight. There were perhaps a dozen of them total, separated into two groups. Singe was at the head of one group, his glasses missing from his face. The other group seemed to be led by Lucian.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"Singe and his group," he nodded to the four men, "will be assigned to watch the Coven's mansion. We believe that they might have information or be able to lead us to Michael. Our group will be heading to pick up some supplies and to meet with Kraven. I want you to meet our weapons supplier."

 _This is going to be interesting,_ I thought. I nodded and instead, departed with him and six others instead. We piled into a commercial truck with a rollup door, Lucian and I in the front and the others in the back. As we drove out of the city, I wondered where exactly we were going. The roads became uneven and the pavement ended at the dirt path that Lucian drove us down. There was a fence and signs demanding that people "KEEP OUT" and declared it to be "PRIVATE PROPERTY." Once we were stopped in front of a monastery that was carved into the very mountain we'd been driving around for the last two hours, I stepped out with Lucian. There were cameras and a buzzer that I didn't expect would be there. I raised an eyebrow to Lucian, who'd been quiet the whole trip. He seemed introspective during the ride, so I hadn't disturbed him.

We approached the doors and after a moment, they opened. There was an attractive blond vampire with long hair dressed in very little. She gave us a cursory glance and let us inside. The men from the back of the truck followed us. We were led down a corridor to a male vampire I'd never seen before but knew from descriptions that this was the infamous Tanis. He'd discovered Lucian and Sonja's relationship and had tried to help them escape in exchange for Sonja's seat on the council. He and Lucian greeted each other curtly, though Tanis seemed interested by my arrival.

"I don't believe that we've had the pleasure of meeting before," he cooed as he walked over to me. He wore a tunic and a robe in beige and light orange. He took my hand and raised it to his lips, his shocking vampire-blue eyes staring at me curiously.

"I've heard all about you, Tanis. Lucian has informed me of you over the last few hundred years," I replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"An American, a few hundred years old? I didn't realize that you were recruiting from asylums, Lucian," he laughed. When the rest of us didn't follow suit, he quieted and led us to a stack of crates. He opened one and we inspected the cargo. It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You're the one supplying us with UV rounds?" I asked in surprise. "I didn't realize you were in the business of assisting others in killing your own kind."

"When you've been exiled for speaking the truth, you learn to survive however you can," he replied.

"What of the UV grenades you were talking about last time?" Lucian cut in.

"The government hasn't finished with testing the prototypes yet but they should be going into mass production by this weekend. I'll be nicking a two crates from a shipment that is scheduled for Friday. You can pick them up the day after," he responded dismissively. I was fascinated by the idea of a UV grenade. It must be an offshoot of the flashbang grenade and I wondered briefly how it would work.

"Excellent. Now, Tanis. As for the payment for this shipment," he pulled out an envelope from inside his coat. "This should have what you're looking for."

He opened the envelope and seemed satisfied. He gave a smirking grin and bade us goodbye as Lucian and I grabbed a crate of guns and ammo along with the others. We packed in fifteen crates total and climbed back into the cab of the truck, again the men in the back with our cargo.

"I had no idea you'd been trading with Tanis," I spoke softly as we drove away. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"I made contact with him before we left for the new world. He informed me that he was about to be banished for trying to record the truth about the beginning of the war and how it was Viktor, not me, who started it. Over the years, we kept each other apprised of the situation. He'd made contacts with human warlords before he'd been banished and they had supplied him with livestock for blood and weapons for protection. He had given them information on rivals that they needed in return. He became quite an informant for them and offered to trade these weapons with me for protection, among other things," he spoke more to me then than he had the whole day.

"Among other things?" I questioned.

"The female vampire you saw with him was one of those things. She and another woman were in a village down the path from the monastery and were dying of cholera about a hundred years ago. I think he'd tried turning many women before and hadn't succeeded. I gave those women to him because I thought they were dead already and at least it would be a chance for them. They stay with him because he is all they know."

"You never mentioned that along with being detestable, he was disgusting," I joked. Another small quark in the corner of his lips. He didn't often smile, I knew, but I could elicit something akin to it when he was in a mood like today. I guessed that seeing Tanis reminded him of Sonja. I didn't comment on it any further.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Underworld_. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **WARNING: Sexual content in this chapter, which may be too graphic for some readers. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 9

 _Romania, 300 C.E._

Jana screamed as she crouched in the midwife's home. Her water had broken days ago and her body had been in labor this whole time. It was as though the child was too stubborn to leave of its own accord. The midwife insisted that this sometimes happened, that some births could take a long time. It meant you would have a strong willed child, she said. Great things were meant for the child if it were a boy. Jana didn't care if she was having a boy or a girl. She just wanted her labor to finally be _over._

"I can see the head!" the older woman finally cried. From her crouched position, she could not see past her belly. All she could do was to grasp the metal pot that her lover had given her and twist the rim to relieve her pain. The midwife's eyes grew wide and she gasped before turning her attention to the crowning babe. Brother Vasska was doing the only thing that he could and bringing clean water to the hut that was the midwife's home. He watched in trepidation while Jana strained again, pushing out their child, gasping when her moment to push was done. Sweat dripped from her forehead. When the midwife bade her to do so, she pushed again with the next contraction and the old woman caught the newborn and began to clean the ichor of afterbirth from its flesh. She looked up to Jana with a half-toothless smile. "It's a boy, sweet child. A boy!"

The old woman was setting about cutting the umbilical cord when Jana gave another cry and began to heave again. Another head began to crown before their eyes and the old woman rushed about with washing her hands with the water Vasska had brought and grabbing another clean cloth for the next child. This one was completely out in two pushes. The midwife cleaned the ichor from the second babe and turned to Vasska, holding it up. "A girl, Brother Vasska! She bears a boy and a girl!"

Vasska was in awe of the two tiny lives that Jana had brought to this world. He felt the stirrings of fatherly pride, as well as some pride for his virility. As his Slayer delivered the placentas and the old woman put them into a metal cauldron hanging over her fire, he inspected the infants. They had the exact same color eyes as Jana and they had thin brown hair crowning their heads. Jana was led from her crouched birthing position to the bed that was in the room. During delivery, she'd torn from her vagina to her anus and the old woman was pulling out a bone needle and some thread to stitch the torn tissue back together. She applied an elixir to the torn tissue that would numb the area while she stitched it back together. Vasska took the time to bring their infant daughter and son to her arms.

"What shall we name them?" he asked softly. She looked up and could see the pride in his eyes when he looked upon his progeny. She knew then that he would do anything for his newborn children. Looking upon their cherubic faces, many thoughts had wandered through her head on how she would possibly name them, how she could possibly take care of them.

"She will be Elya and he will be Alexi, after my mother and father," she replied. Vasska nodded. He would accept those names proudly for his children.

* * *

 _Danni_

When we arrived back at the Den, the six men who'd traveled with us unloaded the truck whilst Lucian and I met up with Raze. They were waiting on the weapons shipment and word from Soren, Kraven's right-hand man, that the train containing Amelia was close. They still had several hours before then and Lucian had received word that Kraven wanted to speak with him. Initially, I was invited to take part in this meeting but the messenger had returned to change the meeting place and time at the last moment. He also stated that Amelia's convoy was to arrive tomorrow night instead. I felt a little pleasure at that knowledge; I really wanted to be there when we took them out. I'd had enough run-ins with vampires that I detested them for their blatant indecency when it came to money. They spent vulgar amounts on clothes and things that really didn't matter.

Lucian gave an order to some of his men and I went to the armory to help deposit the new weapons in their proper places. I had just finished unloading the last crate when I found him in the doorway, gesturing for me to follow him. We ended up several feet from a group of men that were ready to leave as soon as he was.

"For whatever reason, our meeting has been moved to another place and time and I cannot risk bringing both of my top lieutenants. If things go wrong, I need you here to orchestrate the rest of the plans. My men know who you are and they will be as loyal to you as to me."

"So you're taking Raze?" He was waiting with two others by the exit shaft.

"This time, yes. Don't worry, Daenerys. You will be there for the next meeting, I can assure you of that," he replied. He must have seen the disappointment in my eyes because his softened at the sight and his hand started to reach for my cheek but he put it back down. I looked to see Raze was watching us curiously. Lucian turned away and walked over to the group, leaving for the rendezvous.

* * *

It was a few hours later that they all returned and the tension I didn't realize I'd been carrying released itself from my body. I'd been at the makeshift range by myself, using the regular bullets during my target practice on an old poster I'd found near the subway. I'd just ejected the empty magazine when I heard him approach. I turned and saw Lucian staring at me with interest. I'd learned how to use guns but had preferred bladed weapons by far. I dropped the gun and it floated back into the perfect position for shooting. I aimed it carefully and squeezed a few rounds off into the poster. They hit their targets perfectly. He smiled at me.

"It always amazes me what you can do with that power and how you never let the vampires catch wise. I've always wondered what would happen if I just sent you after them by yourself," he spoke candidly.

"I would probably kill a few of them and then be killed myself. I can stop only so many bullets before they hit me, you know. That's why I like to be sly about it. They can't really stop me if they don't know I'm there to stop," I replied as I returned the gun to my hand and clicked the safety back on. "About last night…"

He stepped forward and silenced me with a kiss. His hands cupped my cheek and pressed into the small of my back as I gasped in surprise. He took advantage of my parted lips and began exploring my mouth in earnest. I responded in kind, my fingers tangling in his hair. I felt a tingling sensation spread through my body that was pleasant and warm. When we parted, my eyes didn't want to open back up, fearing that it was just a very vivid hallucination or dream. When I felt his forehead touch mine, I gazed into his blue eyes. "Come with me," he replied softly and led me to his room. He closed the door behind him and turned to me with burning eyes. I'd moved across the room and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"I meant what I said before," his words were soft. "I missed you more than I should have when I came back to this city. I came here and wanted only to have you back with me."

When I found my voice, I surprised myself at how soft and still strong it was. If he was going to declare something to me, I wanted to be sure I understood what it was. Was it lust? Or something else? "Is that why you always asked if I was ready to come home? Was it because you missed me being around?"

"I missed your smile. I missed your laugh. I missed seeing you figure out a puzzle and I missed seeing the light in your eyes when you found the answer to a question you'd been asking. I missed how your hair smelled in the sunshine and the way your hands moved to your favorite music when we heard it in a pub. I missed seeing you become intent on reading a book or writing one, as you have in the past. I missed how the sweat would make you shine when you would train to fight. I missed… you."

With every little thing he listed that he missed about me, he took another step closer. When he was close enough, he gently grasped my wrists and uncrossed my arms. I was looking down, contemplating his response, and looked into his eyes.

"I fell in love with you four hundred years ago, Lucian," I whispered. "I just couldn't tell you."

"Why not?" his voice and hands were gentle upon me and I continued to confess my sins, all of my fears spilling out with abandon. He listened intently.

"I was afraid. I was afraid that you wouldn't love me or, if you did, you would come to hate me for distracting you from you love for Sonja. I was afraid that I would hurt you and make you bitter. I was afraid that I would get hurt. I was afraid that you couldn't love me, that it had all died with her."

For the first time in centuries, I believe I saw the kindness, the gentleness that he'd had before the war. He leaned forward and kissed me on my forehead, his hands cupping my face.

"Daenerys, I never thought I'd feel anything but hatred again. When I made you, it was a means to an end and you knew that from the start," he began and I nodded in the affirmative. "You had this… childlike wonder about the idea of becoming like us, so I took it upon myself to teach you and guide you. I felt something stirring in my heart but I was unsure of what it was, so I pushed it away. I ignored that feeling for so long, even though it continued to grow. When I left you in America, I couldn't ignore it anymore. I was forced to examine my heart and I found that, although Sonja was still there, you had taken residence in it as well."

He stopped for a moment, as if to collect his thoughts. I silently waited, my heart beginning to swell in my chest from his words. He swallowed thickly, as though he was having a difficult time with what he was about to say.

"My dearest one, my beautiful Dae… I think I have loved you for centuries and I will not pretend otherwise any longer."

"Why didn't you say anything?" My voice was faltering from the weight of emotion I felt. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to. I feared at first that you had given your heart to Raze, but he took on others when he came back with me. I didn't know if you had found someone there and if you had, I didn't want to make you unhappy," he replied softly, his fingers tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. This time, I moved in to claim his lips and I did so with a renewed ferocity that he returned fervently. I tried to convey my thoughts and feelings to him with my touch and my tongue, which I could feel that he understood and returned in kind.

I pushed at his leather coat, and it slid off his shoulders to the floor and then my fingers flew to the buttons of his shirt. I'd seen he didn't have many in the first place hanging upon the wire rack, so I decided not to tear it open like I wanted to. He had no such reserves for my shirt. When my coat was on the floor, he'd torn my black tank top in half down the front, exposing the crimson bra I'd been wearing underneath. While my hands smoothed his shirt off his shoulders, he made quick work of the hooks and was pulling my breasts free. He turned me around and started backing me up until my legs hit the edge of his bed. I sat and pulled myself backwards on the sheets, my breasts bared, tight jeans still clinging to me. I toed off the combat boots I'd been wearing and the socks with them while he crawled onto the bed, his body over mine. His pants were made of a supple black leather that wore often and he'd already unbuckled his belt; he'd removed his shoes and socks too.

Just his intense gaze was causing the butterflies in my belly to go haywire. He lowered himself down to me and his kisses were becoming more intense as his hands went to the button on my jeans and popped it. My hands began running through the smattering of hair on his chest to his lean abs. My hands found the button on his pants and zipper. I could feel his growing arousal beneath my fingers and he growled at me. I thought it was sexy as hell. His mouth began making an impassioned trek down my throat. He suckled for a long moment on the scar he'd left nearly six hundred years ago when he'd turned me. I bit my lip when he moved away and was sure there was a light bruise there from his ministrations. He was moving further down my body, his pants out of my reach now. He unzipped my jeans and hooked two fingers through belt loops to pull them down while I raised my rear to give him some help. Gods, I wanted this.

When he saw that I had a matching pair of crimson panties, his eyes flashed to mine before he slowly, achingly pulled them free of me, never moving his eyes away. I only had three matching bra and panty sets. I think this one was my new favorite of them all. With our eyes locked, he moved towards my navel, licking and nipping the flesh there while his hands pushed my legs apart. I was completely open to him now, nothing to hide behind. He turned his eyes away and drank in the sight of me. Then he tasted me. It was like an explosion went off in my heart. I had some notion that it wasn't really happening until that moment. A short, ragged gasp left me as he tasted me again. His tongue and fingers expertly brought me to writhing bliss but he made sure that it took a _while._ I don't know how long he suckled upon me but it felt like forever. I would be close to reaching climax and he would stop to nibble and kiss the flesh on my belly with his fingers moving up my body to my breasts to tease them. When I started coming back down, almost painfully from nearly falling over that pleasurable cliff, he would begin again with maddening slowness. I was out of my mind with desire, having not yet found my bliss, when he stopped and kissed his way back up to my breasts. I'd been grasping at the sheets and at his hair this whole time.

He teased and taunted each nipple in turn, his eyes raking over my face to see what his progress had wrought. I was panting, a thin sheen of sweat glistened on my skin. A moan of sexual frustration ripped through me and then I used my speed and strength to knock him onto his back on the bed. His gaze was curious and hungry. I imagined he had more teasing to do. I wanted my fill of his flesh, though. I gave a blistering kiss on his lips before straddling his still clothed legs and taking a nip at his left nipple. I heard a gasp and his eyes were wide with desire as he watched me, one hand smoothing my hair back from where a few strands had fallen in front. My one hand was working on myself, the other was pinching his right nipple as I sucked and teased him. I scooted down on him and removed his pants as he had mine. I'd never needed to imagine how he would look naked; I'd seen him bare to the world before after coming back from a hunt in our Lycan forms and he'd seen me. I'd never seen him when he was so full of desire, though and it took my breath away.

He gasped under my delicate touches and moaned when I kissed his full length and then took him into my mouth. I let him know the full extent of my feelings for him with every touch, every suckle and tease. He was long and thick and when he pulled me back to his mouth, he kissed me hard and pushed me onto my back again. He positioned himself between my thighs and with a solid, powerful thrust, he was inside of me. Our lips were constantly exploring each other's lips, throats and faces as we made love. I'd already been so close to climax and when the first one tore through me, my toes went numb and stars seemed to dance in front of my eyes with his the only clear thing I could see. Our grunts and moans melded together as we continued moving. He pulled from my body and laid on his back, stacking his pillows behind him so that he could be sitting up. I climbed on top of him and settled down with him back inside of me, where I felt he belonged more than anything. Our arms and hands couldn't stay still on one spot for long. He'd grip my hips and rear to help me move on him one moment and then pull my head back by my hair and suck hard on my throat another.

I was building up to my second climax and he brought my lips to his before stilling me on him. He pulled me and himself off the bed, still connected and pushed me up against the wall. I felt him go deeper into me and moaned against his lips. One arm supported my weight and the other grabbed my wrists and held them above my head. His eyes were intense on mine as he began short, hard thrusts. My gasps came out to match his pace. He looked like he was containing himself with some effort, as though he was holding off his climax until I was much closer to mine. He leaned in and kissed me hard in the next thrust and I felt like he'd hit something close to heaven inside of me. I cried out and moaned in concert with him until his hips began to move with a wild abandon against mine. He let go of my arms, which immediately found purchase around him and my nails scraped along his back. I clamped down on him again and a long, deep moan issued from me. I looked into his eyes and they were the blue irises and black sclera that mine had become. He let out a low growl and bit me in the same spot he had all those years ago and I bit him at the same time in the same spot. Those stars rushed past my eyes even brighter now as I sucked some blood from his wound and he sucked some from mine.

He pulled me from the wall, his manhood beginning to become flaccid inside of me but he didn't pull away, nor do our lips leave the bites we'd made. I could feel him sit on the edge of his bed and after a moment he let go and licked at the bite tenderly. I did the same, trying to lick up the blood that had escaped my mouth in the exchange. We were both healing fast and soon the wounds were all but gone but we stayed connected for a long while, just panting and kissing. I immediately missed him when he rolled us to the side and slid from between my thighs. It took a moment for me to process what we'd done.

At the end, we'd enacted an old mating ritual that I thought had died out. It was an intensely private ritual that had sprung up when Lycans were still slaves and the females were peddled around to the males when they were being 'good boys.' If a female Lycan and male Lycan fell in love but the vampires didn't recognize their personal vows, they would mark each other when mating, at the final climax reached in tandem. The marks would fade almost completely but they would leave a faint scar and the scent of their mate would linger there, at times for months afterwards. It was how other males knew not to touch that female and vice versa. They would save themselves until reunited with their mate and then renew the mark in the same place every time.

Lucian pulled me to him and I threw a leg over his hip. I was starting to feel the soreness between my thighs from our lovemaking and it was filling me with satisfaction. We were both somewhat tired, and pleasantly so, but we continued to lay awake for the rest of the night, talking and we laughed a little. After a few hours we made love again, this time with Lucian behind me thrusting into me with wild abandon. He had me against the wall again, and then bent over his desk. We made love on every surface of that room and when I went to take a shower, we made love there and then he fucked me on the sink counter for good measure. I'd never been so sore in my life but I loved it. When we finally emerged from his room, I found myself strutting through the halls with only my crimson bra, my jeans and my coat. I went to the room I'd been given and changed into a light green tank top layered over another white one and into a new pair of pants.

When I saw Lucian again, his eyes burned into mine from across the room while he took reports from his men. I was reminded of his vigorous nature when I moved and he could see the change in my gait. I could see him smirking. Bastard. I smiled and shook my head as I left the room. The rest of our interactions through the day were professional with the hidden subtext of promising to spend time together later, whether it was making love or making conversation. Two hours before Raze was to lead a group and myself on the raid against Amelia's convoy, Lucian and I met just briefly in his room. Our talking turned to lovemaking that was just as tender as I'd ever hoped to make. Every touch, every kiss was gentle. His thrusts were slow and measured to make me shiver with delight. When we reached our bliss, I shuddered first and then he came an achingly slow few moments later. It was quiet and intense.

Raze eyed me strangely as we rode to the train station and separated from the others to find hiding spots so we would have the element of surprise. He lay in wait next to me and his nostrils flared when I got close. The smell of sex was probably all over me, and the scent of Lucian. He narrowed his eyes.

"You've moved onto Lucian now?" he asked bluntly, his deep voice breaking the silence.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, my friend. It's new… but it's good."

"I never would have expected to see you with him." One thing I admired about Raze was his ability to never skirt around the issue.

"I never would have tried for him," I said honestly. "I was surprised as shit when he said he missed me. And that he wanted me."

Raze raised an eyebrow. The rumbling of the coming train silenced him from replying. We watched as the train pulled up to the station slowly. Inside, we could see vampires dressed in extremely elegant gowns and suits moving about. Selfish bastards. So self-important. I was eager to see them filled with terror. After nearly six hundred years of hunting and being hunted, we were on the verge of victory, which would be recorded as a nearly bloodless coup for Kraven and a peace treaty for the Lycans.

Once the train was at a full stop and Soren had sent the signal that it was safe, several of our people transformed and attacked. They were no match for us and we dominated in minutes. Raze and I found our way to Amelia, who was shuddering and lying on the ground, a great big claw mark marring her beautiful flesh. Raze grinned while I grew claws and slashed at a female vampire that was attempting to flee. I made a knife that I'd stowed in my belt fly across the room and sever her spine just between her shoulders and then pull itself out, wipe the blood off on her chiffon gown and then back to my belt. He knelt down and pulled out a small bag filled with syringes. He stuck them into the dying Elder and I watched with satisfaction while he filled five syringes with her blood.

We indulged ourselves in the slaughter of our enemies. There was blood and we rendered them to shreds. When we'd had our fill of feeding off of their corpses and were ready to return, we all found our way back to the van and started back to the Den.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 10

Upon arriving at one of the entrances of the Den, I knew something was wrong. The scent of vampires was strong in the area and when we got closer, Raze found and killed one that was keeping watch. He barked an order for the others to search the area and we both dropped down the shaft. There were entrails and ichor covering the walls and floating in the water. I cast a worried glance at him and we both surged forward. Raze was the one to find Lucian on the ground, unmoving and his veins blackened. He had liquid silver nitrate oozing from a single gunshot wound in his chest. My old friend dropped the vampire blood he'd been carrying and knelt in shock next to him. He turned his head back and forth and I could see his grief plainly on his face. My heart felt cold in my chest. I was frozen in place while Raze became filled with rage and ran to ambush a group of vampires running through the hallway nearby. I ignored the sounds of him winning the fight as I stepped over to my lover and pulled his limp body into my arms.

I was frozen with heartache. I was on autopilot as I kissed his forehead and stroked his hair. I could feel his heartbeat, though weak as it was, and begged him to wake up. In the Den around me, I could hear the roar of my Lycan brothers and the gunfire of the vampires that had come to destroy us. I heard a commotion in the next room and peeked through a hole in the wall to see a man restrained on the examination table struggling to release himself from it. _Is that Michael Corvin?_ I wondered. Lucian groaned in my arms as though to respond to my question. I immediately drew my attention to him.

"Lucian! Lucian!" I whispered fiercely. His eyes fluttered open and he gave a small smile at seeing me and then his face twisted into one of pain. "What happened?"

"Kraven betrayed us," he replied, his voice strained. "In the exam room. I took Michael's blood. I already injected myself; I made a syringe for you and for Raze."

I turned to glance into the room where Michael was still struggling against the bonds that held him. I was torn on what I should do. I looked down to him and his eyes were insistent as he looked into that room. He wanted me to get the blood, I was sure of it. I ignored his desire and began adjusting his body in my arms.

"I need to get you out of here," I whispered instead. I moved to pull him up but he shook his head and shrugged out of my grasp, though there was a painful grunt that followed.

"No, Dae. You need to get that syringe. It's everything I've worked for. It's more important than my life," he told me as he crawled towards the hole in the wall. I was about to say something when a vampire dressed in a black leather jumpsuit and a black corset killed a transformed Lycan that was entering the room with extreme prejudice before approaching Michael. I tensed and pulled back the side of my coat where a pair of knives floated from their spots and prepared to send them flying through her spine and skull when, to my surprise, she released Michael from his restraints.

"I have to get you out of here. Viktor's on his way, and he won't be satisfied until every Lycan's dead," the female vampire spoke quickly, looking into Michael's eyes.

"They'll kill you too, just for helping me," he replied.

"I know."

"I know what started the war." His statement was grim and Lucian's eyes were just as glued to the scene as mine were. My heart had begun to race at the implications of what I was seeing. A vampire fell in love with a Lycan. I knew that Lucian must be thinking that history was about to be repeated, hopefully with a better ending. Behind us, I heard the unmistakable sound of a Lycan, probably Raze, breaking through a concrete wall and attacking another group of vampires. I heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed and realized it wasn't one of the Death Dealers. They would be more inclined to use modern weapons. It must be Viktor. I turned back to the scene unfolding in front of me and carefully approached Lucian as he struggled to move towards that room.

The vampire and her new companion started out of the room and I took that as my chance to steal into it for the syringe. Just after I started back to Lucian, we heard several gunshots. A few feet away, Kraven had shot Michael with the same silver nitrate bullets he'd used on my beloved. I felt my teeth become a mouth full of fangs and my sight distorted as my eyes changed to that shocking starburst blue over black. The daggers that floated at my side started spinning like the blades of a saw. I was about to intervene when Lucian grabbed my ankle and shook his head. I heard Kraven begin to speak and his voice made my hackles rise.

"Okay, that's enough," he spat as he stepped forward to grab the female vampire by the arm. "You're coming with me!"

"I only hope I live long enough to see Viktor choke the life from you," she snarled as she slapped his hand away.

"I bet you do," he nodded, a barely concealed smirk on his face. He looked like he was ready to inflict some pain. "But let me tell you something about your beloved dark father. He's the one who killed your family, not the Lycans. Never could follow his own rules. Said he couldn't abide the taste of livestock, so every once in a while he would go out and gorge himself on human blood. I kept his secrets, cleaned up the mess, but it was he who crept room to room, dispatching everyone close to your heart, but when he got to you? He just couldn't bear the thought of draining you dry, you who reminded him so much of his precious Sonja, the daughter he condemned to death."

"Lies." Her voice wasn't so confident. I, on the other hand, believed him. He would be the cleanup service behind someone more powerful. I could see it.

"Believe what you want. Now, come on. Your place is by my side."

Whilst they were talking, Lucian had begun dragging himself forward and had just reached Kraven's leg when he was preparing to shoot Michael one more time with a, "So be it," and grabbed the coward's leg with a determined look on his face. I turned and grabbed the pack of syringes Raze had dropped and turned when I heard a cry of pain and metal snapping. Lucian had driven the blade he hid on his wrist in his jacket through Kraven's leg and had been thrown back with a powerful backhand for his trouble.

"Bite him," he whispered to the female vampire with an intense gaze and nodded to Michael. My eyes widened from my vantage point as she did so, without hesitation.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kraven growled as he ripped the blade from his calf.

"You may have killed me, cousin. But my will is done, regardless." I stifled my cry of horror as Lucian's last words were met with several more gunshots. I was getting ready to run to him when I realized that the footsteps approaching must be Viktor and more of his Death Dealers. I couldn't reveal myself to him. I wasn't strong enough to take him on and I didn't know what else I could do. I remained in my hidden vantage point, praying that Lucian could hold on for just a little longer. That his weakening heart would continue to beat for just a few more moments. If he had already injected himself with the Carrier's blood, I could still give him the vampire blood in one of these syringes and he could possibly survive. After all, if he became a hybrid, he wouldn't be allergic to silver anymore. Vampires aren't allergic to it, right?

Kraven must have heard the approaching vampires as well and scurried like a cockroach out through the exit shaft. Then, Viktor, an Elder vampire that I'd heard of but never seen before marched into the room and tore the female vampire away from Michael's throat and then lifted him up with one hand to glare into his eyes. They were barely open and he snarled as he threw him through a concrete wall into the much larger and wet room on the other side. He then looked about the room and turned to the vampire before him.

"Where is he? Where's Kraven?" he demanded. I watched as he seemed to take in the stunned expression on her face and he softened himself a little, as though he was feeling guilty for making a child cry. A single tear had begun to fall down her cheek. I glanced nervously over to Lucian's body. He was barely drawing breath and my heart clenched to see him thus. Viktor knelt in front of her and his voice was much softer. "Forgive me, my child."

"It wasn't the Lycans," she whispered. "It was you."

"Leave us," he commanded the three others that had accompanied him. They gave furtive glances around the room and left, though I could see the confusion in their eyes. He had risen and was stern-faced while he turned back to her.

"How could you bear my trust, knowing you had killed my family?" she asked.

"Yes. I have taken from you… but I have given so much more. Is it not a fair trade, the life I have granted you? The gift of immortality?"

"And the life of your daughter? Your own flesh and blood?" she challenged. At this his face contorted. It was a mixture of love and disdain and hatred. An odd combination, to be sure. He looked away, spotting Lucian's body. He reached down and tore the pendant from his neck.

"I loved my daughter, but the abomination growing in her womb was a betrayal of me and of the Coven! I did what was necessary to protect the species, as I am forced to do, yet again!" he cried with all the surety of a true fanatic. He was insane! I was sickened by his hateful presence and looked to Lucian's body again. His breathing was getting slower and I could barely hear his heart anymore. I looked down at the syringes in my possession. Two of them were the Carrier's blood and five of them were Amelia's blood. A plan formulated as I tossed one of each syringe into the air. They hovered around me as Viktor pulled out his sword and looked down through the hole he'd made in the wall to search for his quarry. Faster than I could see, a being of black skin, claws and eyes appeared behind the Elder vampire. He turned at the growling pants behind him and Michael, now a hybrid, hit him on the chest and threw him out to what would become their battleground. It was now or never. While they were distracted, I would save Lucian.

I concentrated and held out both of my arms. One was injected with Michael's blood and the other with the Amelia's while another syringe I commanded to Lucian. I couldn't let that female vampire see me. I didn't know her name but I suspected she was Selene, a Death Dealer of great repute that I'd heard Kraven had been obsessing over for centuries. I couldn't let Selene see me or she'd kill me on sight and would stop me from my mission. I watched as the syringe floated high above the ground and carefully allowed it to lower to Lucian's prone form. I glanced at Selene; she was distracted by the fight taking place below and seemed truly torn on what she should do. I looked back to the syringe and forced it into his chest, directly into his heart. If this helped him survive, it would have to start healing from there. I let the other syringe full of Michael's blood follow soon after. I had no idea how long ago he'd injected himself but I wasn't going to take chances. As soon as this one had followed suit and had the second injection in his heart I started to feel something changing in myself.

I held back a gasp of pain as I began to change, unbidden. I hadn't felt pain when changing since my fifteenth year as a Lycan, when I'd finally gained full control of my abilities. My bones in my chest snapped and reformed into a more animalistic ribcage and my fingers elongated as my flesh turned as black as night. In the other room, I heard Viktor's voice float up from the battle.

"Time to die!" At that, Selene, not yet noticing my presence or that there were two syringes close to Lucian's prone form, jumped up and joined the fight. I stumbled into the room and bit back a cry of pain as I felt the bones in my arms, legs and spine elongate. My face began to bulge forward in growing bone and muscle and it became more as a traditional Lycan than human, with long canines and a powerful jaw. Then my muzzle receded back significantly, but still remained slightly distended. It allowed for a significantly larger-than-human bite radius. While my hands were still relatively human, I pulled Lucian's body flat to the floor and did a few chest compressions after I pulled the syringes out. I prayed that this would circulate through his body faster with my help. I wanted this to work so badly, I could practically taste it.

Below, I could hear the battle was close to its end. The bones and muscles in my chest returned to a semblance of human, though they were more prominent. The muscles on my back also grew and remained that size. I had an inkling that my transformation was complete when power and strength flowed through me. My fingers were elongated slightly with razor sharp claws at the end. I felt a bony ridge on forehead, though just between my eyes. There was the start of a bony, muscular ridge on my nose.

I let my transformation go back to human as I reached out to Lucian, not wanting to accidentally cut his flesh. He still hadn't moved and I began to despair that I'd been too late. I felt my heart twist and behind me, I heard a gun cocking. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted both Selene and Michael.

"I've made myself a hybrid," I spoke, though my voice was hoarse. "I did it because he wanted me to; he wanted to save me." I gestured to my lover's body. He wasn't moving and it was my fault he was dead. I felt sick to my stomach.

"I don't care," Selene replied and was about to shoot when Michael put his hand on hers and lowered it. She looked at him incredulously.

"She's heartbroken, Selene. Let her be." He was kinder than I deserved. I caressed Lucian's cheek and licked my lips, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. His arm twitched and Selene cocked the gun again, this time pointing at Lucian.

"What the hell?" she muttered. I felt a ray of hope and covered his body with mine.

"No! Leave him!" I cried. His flesh was turning black and he began gasping and writhing on the floor. His eyes opened and trained on me as the starburst of blue on his irises were consumed until completely black. My eyes must have done the same, I reasoned. Once his change was complete, he leapt to his feet and was in a position to attack. Both Michael and I shifted to our hybrid forms. I placed a hand on his chest and he looked at me for a moment with ferial eyes before he relaxed back to a more human appearance.

"You? And me?" he questioned quietly. I nodded. His eyes shifted back and forth from Michael and Selene.

"And the Carrier. This vampire, Selene, killed Viktor." He seemed to stand up straighter at that, obviously feeling a modicum of respect for her now.

"We must leave quickly then, before more Death Dealers come to finish what he started," he said quickly. "Where is Raze?"

I lowered my eyes before telling him. "I think he's dead. He went on a rampage, after we found you, against at least one vampire and killed it that I know of. I heard him attack another and I think it was Viktor. He wouldn't have survived to stand against Michael if Raze had won."

Lucian's face twisted in pain at the loss of his oldest friend.

"We cannot stay here. Kraven may be on his way back to the mansion and he'll be trying to kill Marcus in his sleep," Selene broke in. She looked torn on what she should do.

"Might I suggest that we just leave together for now? Michael, Lucian and I are all hybrids. There will be those who will hunt us down just for being what we are. It would make sense of we stayed together for the time being. We would have a better chance if we are in numbers. I can tell you that there will be those of our kind that will not accept a blending either," I responded. We were cold to one another for good reason. Her kind had hunted mine down for centuries. It made sense that, even though we were not responsible for the destruction of her human family, that she would still bear that ingrained hatred for us. She'd spent too long hating our kind to change.

She gave a curt nod and, after grabbing several empty syringes from Singe's drawer, Lucian and I followed the couple out of the Den. When I found a moment, I intended on examining a sample of my blood or Lucians. Or Michael's, if he consented. Most of our kind had been killed and those that were still alive had already scattered when they saw Michael. They knew that was what Lucian had been working for and were not going to destroy what had been the goal of their leader been for so long.

* * *

We followed Michael and Selene at a distance. It was an unspoken truce that we had made and we didn't want to get the Death Dealer riled up, nor did we want to upset the only other member of our newly born species. She led us out of the city and into the forest. It wasn't long before we were in front of what appeared at first to be a small mine. She opened a hidden panel, tapped in a code and scanned her fingerprint to open the steel door. Inside the base, it was dark inside and she used a flashlight to see as we descended the stairs.

"Perfect," she muttered. As the light bounced around the room, it flashed over a Lycan on the other side of the room and Selene reacted instantly by opening fire. I had no such fear of my brethren but growled in response to the gunfire. Selene flipped switches at a console nearby and it revealed a grotesque image that had Lucian and me bearing our teeth. I noticed that Michael's visage matched our own, though I suspected that his reasons were different than ours.

The Lycan was held up by various chains and tethers. In front of it was a table of various instruments and knives. Selene crossed the room with a casual gait, barely glancing up at the dead creature.

"This thing's been dead for weeks," she assured us.

"I thought Lycans went back to their human form when they die," Michael stated.

"They do. This one's been given a serum to stop regression, so it can be studied."

"How can you tell?" he asked. She reached forward and grabbed the tag that hung from the corpse and showed it to him. I remained on the other side of the room, sickened by the display her kind had made of mine.

"And you call us barbaric?" I asked with narrowed eyes. She glared back at me and fingered the semi-automatic at her side.

"I just killed them. I never paid too much attention to their anatomy," she replied.

"How long can we stay here?" Lucian broke in, glancing curiously around and snooping through whatever laid about. She gave him a dirty look. She really didn't like him, I could tell.

"Not long. These safe houses are all linked together on one mainframe, with motion sensors revealing which ones are active. Someone could have picked us up already," she stated as she tapped a few keys on the keyboard of a computer, examined the screen and then grabbed a duffle bag as she walked to a firearm locker. She began stuffing in guns, shotguns, ammunition and commercial grade glow sticks.

"There's only about an hour left of daylight. Will you be able to make it back to the mansion before then?" Michael asked as he read the display on the computer screen declaring how long until the sun would brighten the horizon.

"Just."

"Okay, let's get what we need and go," he said as he began to help her pile in the supplies.

"No. I'm going alone," she stated, stopping her motions. She zipped up the bag and continued, "If I can plead my case, there's a chance you'll be granted sanctuary. Right now, you'll be killed on sight. I'm not prepared to risk it."

"And what of us? Will Marcus call a ceasefire or will we have to plead our case too?" Lucian questioned from his place a few paces away, examining a cabinet that contained various silver-coated devices that were likely used to torture our people. His eyes were hard on the vampire and even sent a chill through me.

"Who knows? He is the only remaining Elder. He may be willing to end the war once he discovers the truth of how it began. Marcus was considered to be very reasonable by others in our Coven," she retorted with irritation.

"What if Kraven still has his men with him? I won't let you go alone," Michael declared.

"You're not as strong as you might think," Selene gave him a gentler look than I'd seen from her in the last few hours.

"What?"

"You're unique. All three of you are unique. There's never been a hybrid before. However ambivalent you are about it, the truth is your powers could be limitless. You depend on blood. You need to feed. Without it, you'll be growing weaker by the second, use the time for that." She pulled out a bag from the fridge and handed it to him. He took it but looked like he didn't even want to see it.

"Jesus Christ. What if I don't? What if I can't?" the last part he whispered. I decided to step in to answer this question but the vampire beat me to it.

"Normal food could be lethal. If you don't anticipate your cravings, you will attack humans. Believe me, you don't want that on your conscience."

The kind of felt sorry for him. He looked truly torn. When I had first been turned by Lucian, I'd still been able to eat normal food. I just had to adjust to eating raw meats from time to time to satiate my hunger for it. Eating Bambi or Thumper was a difficult concept to grasp at first but now, I could hunt for a small den of bunnies and not feel bad about chowing down on their cute little bodies. Last time I'd done that was several months ago and I'd made a pair of 'bunny slippers' out of them when I was done. They were probably the most comfortable fur slippers I'd ever had. I even got a taxidermist to preserve the ears in such a way that they remained floppy and attached them just above the toes.

Michael looked to us, "Could we have a little bit of privacy for a moment?"

I nodded and headed for the ramp that would lead us to the outside entrance. Lucian was reluctant to follow, a scowl firmly planted his lips. I could tell that being in the presence of so many devices that had been used to torture and kill our kind just enraged him.

"Such depravity down there and they call _us_ monsters," he spoke furiously to me as we reached a point we were sure that we wouldn't be heard. I nodded grimly. I agreed, completely, but I was focused on deciding on our next move for now. Two Elder vampires were dead and when the third rose, he would either want to broker a peace between vampires and Lycans or he would go on the warpath and demand to snuff us all out.

"I know. It disgusts me, too. We need to plan our next move. We came here to protect each other and to protect Michael. He's still the key to changing our brothers and sisters into Hybrids, yes?" I questioned softly. Lucian focused on me and nodded with grim determination before his face softened. His hands came up to my shoulders and my face. He ran his thumb over my cheek tenderly.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he said softly. I smiled at him and cupped his cheek in return.

"I thought I did lose you," I responded earnestly. "I'm glad I didn't. I don't know what I would have done if I would have had to leave you there."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **WARNING: Sexual content in this chapter. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 11

"We need to get back into contact with the remainder of our forces from the Den." I agreed with Lucian immediately. Who knows how many survived the onslaught and scattered to the winds?

"I agree but I want to see if we can send a blood sample to Antigen. I want to know what we've done to ourselves and how we can use it to benefit all of our kind," I replied. Although the three of us were technically now a new species all our own, I still considered Lycans to be my people. "We need to know if our bites are still going to create Lycans or if they will create Hybrids."

As we were speaking, Selene passed by our position about twenty feet away. She gave us a look that clearly said that she didn't particularly care for us and I returned the sentiment. I had more that I wanted to say but I turned when I heard Michael leaving. He glanced over at us as he continued on his way towards the village we'd passed coming here. I narrowed my eyes and made my way back inside. Lucian remained outside. He didn't trust that there wouldn't be reinforcements coming to the safe house and I agreed. I looked about for only a moment before I spotted the untouched blood bag on the counter. I grabbed it and two others from the fridge and tossed one to my lover as I came back out and motioned him to follow me. He opened a tube and began to drink. I didn't follow suit immediately. I wanted to catch up to our quarry before he got too far away.

He had just reached the outskirts of the village when I sped forward and grabbed his arm. He turned around and his eyes blackened and claws grew menacingly. I took a step back, a blood bag in hand.

"I know what you're thinking. I get it, believe me, I do. But if you're going to try human food, best to do it in a safe environment, yeah?" I held out the bag to him and he stared at it before turning away with a glare. His claws shrank back and his eyes turned to their normal blue as he continued towards a tavern. I cursed under my breath but stayed back. He wasn't going to listen to me. He's the type that needs to learn the hard way and there was nothing I could do for him. Feeling the hunger in my belly, I opened one of the tubes on the bag in my hand, the other I'd grabbed in the pocket of my coat. I started drinking and the coppery taste was like the bliss of a milkshake or the fresh spring water of the Alps. I felt the hunger diminish and strength filtered through my body. The bag was drained completely before I knew it and I felt Lucian's presence behind me. I felt like I was tingling. The blood gave me a high I'd never felt before.

Lucian was behind me. He made a move to follow Michael but I put my arm out to stop him. He looked at me and demanded, "What are you doing? We can't let him just do whatever he wants."

"Yes we can. The whole point of the war we've been fighting was to be free of others making choices for us and to bring a balance to a horribly imbalanced world," I responded. He gave me a measured gaze but said nothing in reply. We stood there, on the edge of it all, wondering if we should return to the safe house when a terrible commotion started up. People were pouring out of the tavern and a police officer ran to his vehicle and began to broadcast. From my vantage point, I could hear him calling for backup and that he had Michael Corvin inside. We looked at each other and when Michael burst through the door, knocking it to the ground and started running, to the forest, we followed. There were police officers arriving behind us and shots being fired. In the chaos, we lost sight of Michael and a few officers started to chase after us. I cried out in pain as I felt a shotgun blast to my back and turned around. My eyes changed, my mouth filled with sharp teeth and my nails grew into claws as I raced after the one who'd shot me. I growled furiously as I ripped the weapon from his hands and backhanded him. He flipped in the air and landed with a painful thud.

I didn't see where she came from but Selene was taking care of other police officers that had pursued Michael and Lucian was a little further behind, dodging bullets from the inept men firing them. I disarmed another man and knocked him out while he did the same not far from me. When all the gunfire had ceased, we found Selene feeding Michael from her wrist.

"What the hell happened?" She demanded.

"He made a mistake, one I doubt he will be making again soon," I replied. "What brought you back here so quickly? I thought you'd be halfway to the mansion by now."

"I heard something flying overhead. It was huge, like a giant bat. It was headed for the safe house. We need to move." She and Michael stood up and we started to follow when we heard the flapping of great wings on the air. The birds in the trees were disturbed and crying as they flew about. We turned behind us to see a creature unlike any I'd ever seen with long flowing strips of cloth belted to leather pants and thick boots land before us. It was greyish in skin color and its head, though human in shape, had all the signs of a bat. Many little needle-like teeth filled its mouth, a very bat-like nose was pressed into the skull and black, beady eyes stared out at us. There were no ears sticking out, but where they should have been were massive indentations in the shape of pointed ears. I surmised that he would probably be able to echolocate if he so chose, or could figure out how to do it.

The humans in the area saw this creature, with its massive leathery wings jutting out from its back, and turned tail. I was intimidated by it. Then I realized that, somehow, this was Marcus. It was the only explanation for this creature. Marcus was the last vampire Elder, he was a direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus and he must have come into contact with Lycan blood. His transformation into a Hybrid was drastically different than ours. He was a completely different breed. It was fascinating. Having been a vampire first, it must have emphasized those bat characteristics radically. I realized then, if we were to hybridize vampires, this would be the most likely result and I was disgusted by it.

"Marcus," Selene identified him. She must have shared my realization. She stood rigidly in front of Michael.

"I know what you've done, Selene."

"Viktor deserved his fate and Kraven was no better." She was backing up from the Vampire-Lycan hybrid. We were doing the same. He glanced at us sharply. I didn't know how I should react but I knew violence would only trigger a battle we weren't ready to fight.

"Kraven has already reaped the rewards of his own misdeeds. And Viktor… Viktor deserved his fate many times over. A terrible business, the slaying of your family. Yet, so much effort was spent to conceal this matter from me. What do you suppose that Viktor had to hide?" Marcus' voice was deep and resonating as he made his conversation with her. He didn't really seem to care about the rest of us; he was interested in the vampire. "Or perhaps, it is you Selene… as the last of your wretched family, who has something to hide?"

Without warning, he surged forward and pinned her against a boulder that was just behind her, poising himself to bite into her throat. Michael picked up the gun she'd just dropped and the modified weapon released a hail of bullets in automatic gunfire. The vampire Elder fell back, stunned and Selene ran. We ran with her, knowing we could become his next targets. I glanced over at Lucian and his eyes told me everything I needed to know. This situation was getting more complicated by the second. We were approaching a road and, as luck would have it, a large truck was about to pass by. Michael ran into the road directly in front of it. The driver stomped on his breaks to avoid hitting the man he perceived to be in danger. Lucian and I didn't hesitate to climb onto the back of the truck while Michael, who'd already transformed, scared the crap out of the man from the hood and Selene asked the man if she could drive in perfect Russian. The man climbed out of the car frantically and the rest of us transformed.

Marcus wasn't too far behind as the truck began to surge forward. I climbed onto the hood of the truck and concentrated as the pellets from the shotgun wound I'd incurred were pushed out of my body. There wasn't enough room for me to join Lucian and Michael in the fight with Marcus. It would only behoove me to take a shot if I had one and I couldn't see an opportunity to let one of my knives fly at the creature. I watched as the three of them fought.

Michael was obviously not used to hand-to-hand combat at all. His strikes were wild and he depended solely on his strength and claws, slashing about wildly. He struck Lucian by accident and, to his credit, he didn't even give a backward glance as he threw in a few expert punches and slashes of his own, trying to aim for the throat and side. Marcus, realizing he couldn't win in such a fight, grabbed for the pendant that Michael had been wearing since the Den. It came off easily but it was knocked from his grasp to the truck bed. Michael was nearly knocked from the truck completely but grabbed onto the chains that were swinging behind. Marcus backhanded Lucian and he fell back towards the edge of the open back of the truck. The Vampire-Lycan Hybrid turned to me and took to the air. He raced forward and knocked me backwards. I hit the hood of the truck and started to roll onto the grill when I felt a hand grab my ankle. I looked to see Selene was my savior.

While she was distracted with saving my life, Marcus began flying next to the driver's side of the truck. He declared that she would give him what he wanted, whether she were dead or alive and grabbed her by the neck. She glanced at me and I nodded. Letting go of my ankle at the same time as I used my ability to halt my descent to the road we were trying to race about on, she grabbed a gun and fired into him. I used my ability to float up completely in front of the truck and keep pace as I did so. Marcus and Selene looked to me in shock before he shrieked and came after me. I had a surprise waiting for him as I let the two knives fly from my belt, turning as fast as a buzz saw and slam into his chest. He shrieked again and pulled the knives out, sending them into the road. I wanted to curse. Those were my favorite knives. I raced forward and took a slash at him while Selene hit him with more gunfire.

Realizing that he would do better if he tried from another vantage point that I wouldn't follow him on, and hearing Selene's gun click on empty after a moment, he flew to the other side of the truck, which there was a rocky wall that kept us from switching to another direction. He clung to that side of the truck and that was his mistake as he reached inside to grab the vampire within. She turned the wheel and slammed the side of the truck into the rocky cliff, dragging our enemy along. I could hear the snapping of bone and tearing of flesh as he let go and was left behind on the road, a bloody heap of consciousness. Michael had pulled himself and Lucian back into a standing position. He grabbed the necklace and climbed into the cab with Selene. I flew to the rear of the truck and had to make some adjustments in order to get myself down without getting hurt. I'd never landed on a moving vehicle before and it was the most difficult maneuver I'd had to learn on the fly. I felt a muscle strain badly in my calf as I landed and Lucian was there to help me sit down. It wouldn't take long to heal but it was still painful.

"You okay?" Michael asked Selene. She nodded, turning to look out the side mirror for any sign of pursuit. "He's a hybrid, isn't he?"

"Yes," she responded. On the horizon, the sky was turning shades of pink and I realized why she kept glancing around so much. We were about to leave the mountain road's shadow into the coming dawn. Michael didn't seem to notice.

"He wanted this. Why?" he asked, holding up the necklace. Lucian hadn't said a word about it since he'd spotted it hours ago. I think, on some level, he felt the necklace was a symbol of what he'd been trying to accomplish. Sonja's child with him would have been a Hybrid and Michael was the first of his kind. It was almost fitting that he kept it.

"I don't know. But we have another problem," she replied as she glanced over to where the sun would soon be coming into view. I glanced at Lucian. This could either be a problem or a solution, though we couldn't decide on which just yet.

"Turn off up here," Michael instructed, pointing to the only path that was available aside from the main road. That was when the sun's first rays touched her skin. Even from our place in the back with the air rushing about us, we could smell burning flesh. I searched for something that we could use to cover her but there was nothing aside from our coats. Michael quickly shed the one he'd just put back on and covered her with it. He grabbed the wheel from her hands and gave her instructions on which pedals to press as we headed towards a warehouse.

"Jump!" I whispered to Lucian as I realized he intended on driving right through the wall. It would be better than getting hit by the debris that would fall from the damaged walls. We jumped off just moments before the truck hammered through the wall. Rotted wood fell from where the hole had been made. We walked inside to see that Michael had covered the cab with a large canvas he'd found covering cans of paint. He looked to us as he started opening them with claws and started splashing the windows to prevent the sunlight from making it in. We'd just answered one question I'd had once we'd made the transition. We could survive sunlight. But could Marcus? Or was that attribute still there?

I decided to help Michael cover the windows and he threw me a grateful glance. Lucian declared that he was going to scour the outside to stand watch. Once all of the paint cans had been ripped open and splashed on the windows, Michael found a blanket and used it to cover his vampire so that he could guide her to a shipping container that he'd found. He tore the chains and lock off and led her inside before racing out again. When I spotted him with a first aid kit, I felt amusement. He really had no idea just how resilient his little girlfriend was. I searched the warehouse thoroughly while they stayed in their trailer. I had just found a set of box cutters that I decided would do nicely in a pinch when I realized that it might be prudent to make myself a little scarcer. I could hear the fairly new couple's copulation, though it wasn't that loud. Certainly not as loud as I'd been with Lucian not too long ago.

I stepped outside to find him basking in the sun. He'd not been able to do that often, judging from his pale complexion. I'd never really had a fear of showing my face to the vampires. Most of them didn't know what I looked like and those that did, rarely lived to tell. In the last few years, I'd managed to keep a really nice tan and I was proud that I had no tan lines. It was actually something Lucian had commented on after we first made love. He'd expressed how surprised he was that I would sunbathe nude. I just grinned and told him that in the place I'd built up over the years, I'd had the privacy to do whatever I wanted on the property. I had a place on one of the roofs that I would set up a chair and lay out naked for a while until it was time to go on a mission against the vampires or listen to a report.

I shook my head of the memories and stepped forward. Hearing their passion had set me off. I wanted to show Lucian just how grateful I was to see him alive. He had his head turned up to the sky and his eyes were closed. He'd taken off his long coat and his bloodied shirt. I could still see the silver nitrate smeared on his flesh. I turned around and found a small bucket that was overturned on the ground and a sink near that. I grabbed the bucket and filled it with water, though there were some flecks of rust that fell from the faucet. There was a semi-clean rag hanging from a hook over the sink and I grabbed that too. I carried it over to him and he opened his eyes when he heard the sloshing of the water.

"What's this?" he asked. I took my long coat off as well and the first tank top I was wearing off and then the second. I had blood still on my back from the shotgun I'd taken to the back.

"I thought we'd clean up some of the blood and things for now," I replied as I soaked the rag, wrung out the excess and started wiping at the silver nitrate smeared on his skin. He watched me for a moment before stilling my hands. He took the rag and dropped it in the bucket and then raised each of my wrists to his lips for a small kiss. Then he kissed me hungrily. I responded with the same enthusiasm and it wasn't long before he was pulling at the remains of the hooks on my bra. We were short distance from the warehouse and there wasn't much around. No grass, no trees. There was an abandoned car and a dirty mattress on the ground a little further away but I wouldn't have touched that. I didn't want to lay down, anyway.

We pawed at our clothes and I pushed Lucian up against one of the abandoned cars and managed to pull his pants down enough to gain the access I wanted. I had him in my hands and he was powerless before me. I looked up into his eyes and they burned into mine with every touch, every flick of the tongue and breath. He was mine to do with as I pleased and I wanted him to gasp my name before he climaxed this time. He tugged at me and told me that it was my turn but I wouldn't have it. I wanted to taste his pleasure first. I cupped him and teased him, my tongue sliding along the underside of his length. His fingers tangled in my hair. I heard his breath quicken as I brought him closer to the brink and as I watched his face contort to ecstasy and his head roll back a little, I heard a hoarse gasp of, "Dae," the nickname he'd given me just days before. I'll never let anyone else call me that, I vowed. I thought he tasted sweet and I swallowed every drop he released. When his lidded eyes caught mine, they were hungry. He pulled me up to his lips and there was still a taste of him in my mouth when we kissed.

"I want you," he growled at me between kisses. His hands were pulling my pants down and I let one leg slip out of its casing. I'd forgotten my panties in his room the last time we'd made love. This seemed to urge on his desire and he began to grow rigid again. His fingers found my center and while his hand worked me there, his other arm came around my waist, squeezing the flesh there. I groaned softly as he broke from my lips and began kissing my throat. One of my hands reached between us and captured his manhood with gentle motions while the other was wrapped around his neck. My fingers tangled in his hair when I felt the pressure building higher and higher. He removed his fingers and helped me guide his length to its sheath. I moaned against his lips when he entered me and he moaned when I clamped down in my first bliss.

He was still leaning against the car, his pants down far enough to make love to me. I had my left leg, still encased in my pants, raised up on the car's hood for balance and Lucian's arm had hooked under it for support. Then he took a step away from my support, forcing my right leg to wrap around his hip instead of standing on my tip-toes. His other arm went under my rear and the change in position changed the feeling of _everything._ I was flying high as he hit the perfect spot inside of me with every thrust that I met. My head fell back and my jaw fell open in a soundless cry of pleasure. The slapping of flesh on flesh was all that I could hear and the erotic sound made me slicker; every sensation became more heightened. It was like sex was completely new now that we were Hybrids. He adjusted the arm that had been under my leg so that it was wrapped around my back. My ankles locked themselves together. My heels, still booted, dug into his buttocks as I instinctively wanted him to remain inside of me longer with every thrust.

When he whispered in my ear that he wanted to try something, I was delirious with pleasure from his lovemaking and nodded. He told me to put my hands on his biceps and I did so. He slowly used the arm around my back to lower my back onto the hood of the car. He had stopped thrusting and adjusted me so that he had a much better vantage point and when he started thrusting again, they were fast, shallow and the slapping of our skin was harder. He had his hands on my hips and buttocks, pulling me to him with every thrust. I felt him hitting that spot again and that numbness I felt when I climaxed a second time returned in a powerful wave of pleasure throughout the rest of my body.

He began to grunt with every thrust and he leaned forward, his fangs out and eyes black. He bit me in the same spot as he had before and I returned the favor to him with a moan as I climaxed a third time. I felt his seed spill into me. I grasped his biceps. He moved his arms so that he was leaning on them as he slowed his punishing pace. When he moved back from his bite, his eyes were still black and my blood stained his lips, as his stained mine. I pulled him in for a ferocious kiss. He'd fed from me a little and I'd fed from him, so neither of us were feeling any hunger now, save for the pleasures of flesh. He stopped moving inside me and just stayed there for a moment. We stared at each other for a long time, panting and caressing hair and cheeks. When he moved back it was because he noticed someone was watching us.

Michael had come out from the trailer and had discovered us. He at least had the grace to look embarrassed by our position but I felt no shame. I'd been caught many times before in such positions when I'd been with Raze or others over the centuries. In older times, it was more common than most people today knew. In some villages I'd visited, there'd been orgies in the town square regularly. Modesty was a convention that was imposed by people who had tiny penises, in my opinion, which wasn't something to be ashamed of. Men with small penises tended to be excellent lovers. There were few exceptions to that rule.

Lucian pulled himself from me and fixed his pants. I put my pants back on and my ruined shirts. Michael had gone back into the warehouse and was looking for tools in the toolbox. When I came in after him, he glanced at me and then away.

"If you're embarrassed about that, don't be," I offered. He stayed silent. "I'm not ashamed of someone catching me having sex with someone I love."

"It's not just that," he replied.

"Then, what is it?" He was silent for a moment.

"I thought that Lucian was in love with Sonja." He looked at me with narrowed eyes. I was briefly surprised and then I realized.

"You saw Lucian's memories after he bit you." Michael nodded. "He does love Sonja. He always will."

"Then who are you?" he questioned with curiosity. I laughed as I realized that I'd never introduced myself to either of them. How silly of me?

"My name is Daenerys. I've been fighting alongside Lucian since he changed me in the fifteenth century. I've been is left hand while Raze was his right."

"So, you've been with him for this whole time?" he asked and I knew what he meant.

"I've fought at his side this whole time but our relationship has been… complicated for years." My eyes grew distant for a moment. "I've loved him for four hundred years but until recently, never acted on those feelings. He came to me and told me that he felt the same just before all of this began."

Michael nodded with a furrowed brow. He began working on the truck's engine, attempting to fix the damage that had been wrought when he'd stopped it earlier. "Why did you two bite each other?" _He must have been watching for more than a few seconds if he saw that,_ I thought.

"During the slavery of the Lycans, long before I was changed, the vampires would let the males pick a female companion for an evening or two. Female Lycans had very few choices and if males decided that they wanted her company for a night, she could say no but be punished for it if the reason wasn't good enough in the vampire overseer's eyes. In those two hundred years of slavery, Lycan marriages were seldom recognized. So, when a male and female Lycan fell in love and wished no other to touch their mate, they would perform a small ritual. During the final moments of sex, the male and female try to climax as close together as possible because their scents comingle and are very strong at that point. Once that happens, they bite each other at the same time and, for reasons I've never figured out, the scent of their mate is retained in that mark. I have theories around it but, I digress…

"Once the female is separated from the male at the end of their time together, the scent of the male is detected on her by other male Lycans and the same of her scent on him. It acts as a wedding ring does for everyone else. When a Lycan male smells another male on a specific female and he has the option of picking her for the night, he must choose another or risk that if he is discovered, the male who marked her will retaliate in the middle of dangerous work. The mark is renewed whenever the pair are together again. Today, it's optional to use it every time but most often, it's renewed when passions are particularly high. Like last night, for example," I explained. Part of this was now his heritage, so he needed to know it. He nodded as he continued to work on the engine.

I walked outside to where I'd left my coat and fished into one of the pockets. The blood bag from earlier was amazingly still intact. I brought it back to Michael and laid it on the work bench next to his tools. He glanced at me in surprise.

"You're going to need this to gather your strength. Selene's blood isn't going to be enough forever."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 12

When I went back into the warehouse a couple hours later, Michael had abandoned the truck we'd used previously. It was toast. Instead, he was working on an old SUV. Lucian and I had finished cleaning up outside and I noticed that Selene was poking her head out of the trailer to see what the noises she'd been hearing were. Her eyes were soft on Michael and when they found me, turned suspicious and narrow. I knew the questions that had been avoided all day were coming and with the fading sunlight, I'd have to answer them. I looked at Michael. He probably thought that my telekinetic abilities and flight were something that was normal amongst Lycans. Selene knew better. I was an unknown, a dangerous element that she needed to investigate or squash quickly. When she came out of the trailer, after it was dark, she bee lined for me.

"What the hell are you?" she demanded, a gun cocked and ready to blow my head off. I'd kept my abilities secret until Marcus attacked and now she needed reassurances that I wasn't going to go _Carrie_ on them.

"I'm a Hybrid. But I'm more than that, obviously," I replied calmly. Looking down the barrel of a gun wasn't new to me. Just having it so close was the difference. Michael was alarmed at this turn of events and Lucian was frozen in place but still poised to attack if he thought it necessary.

"What's going on?" the vampire's lover asked in confusion.

"Lycans can't fly or move objects with their minds, Michael. Selene is a Death Dealer. She's seen all sorts of things Lycans can do and telekinesis isn't one of them. Hybrids shouldn't be able to do it either. I'm unique. I'm truly one of a kind," I explained evenly. The vampire's eyes flashed from brown to the icy blue of her species. "I was this way before I was first turned and Lucian didn't even know about it for the first thirty years. No one did. I only decided to show Lucian when I felt I could truly trust him and the others."

"I should kill you where you stand," Selene sneered. She cocked the gun and Lucian took a step forward. I raised my hand to him, preventing him from taking another step.

"Go ahead."

"No!" Lucian cried from behind me. I kept my hand up and kept him from stepping forward. I was his mate and he was bound to try and protect me. I knew he was fighting me and to him, it must look like I was about to suffer a similar fate to Sonja.

"Go ahead, Selene. Kill me. Blow my head off. But you must remember what you said before, right? My powers might be limitless. Blowing my brains out might be the equivalent of getting a splinter in my finger or stubbing my toe. A minor inconvenience if I have fed properly. So, go ahead. Shoot me. My being a Hybrid might not even factor into it. I might be able to stop a bullet at this range. Hell, I could probably prevent it from leaving the gun and it could blow up in your face instead. So, go on. Give it your best shot," I challenged, even going so far as to press my forehead against the muzzle. Her eyes narrowed at me. I watched her finger twitching with indecision on the trigger. I could feel my lover's struggle against the field I had placed in front of him. I didn't blink. I hoped the bravado I was displaying looked more real than it felt. I worked hard to make sure that I didn't even quiver.

A frustrated look crossed her face and she put the gun down. She didn't want to test limits unless she had to. I stepped back and walked over to Lucian. His chest was heaving and he'd transformed. His eyes were glued to Selene. I stepped in front of him and drew his face down to mine for a gentle kiss. The tension in his body barely relaxed until I put a hand on his chest. When I pulled back, his eyes were still trained on the vampire but the black had receded from his eyes and his body was returning to human. He really didn't like her. At all.

"We don't have time to deal with this. You said something to Michael in the trailer earlier. Care to share with the class?" I turned around. She narrowed her eyes and then held up the pendant. Her thumb pressed the green jewel in the middle and it opened a set of blades on the outside. I turned my head sideways, glancing at Lucian out of the corner of my eye. He seemed unsurprised by this.

"I remember holding this when I was a child, when it was open like this. I don't know how this is possible but I know someone who might be able to tell us."

"Who is that?" I asked.

"His name is Tanis."

* * *

On the way to the monastery, Lucian and I were silent; when we got closer to our destination, Michael broke his own silence.

"It looks like a monastery."

"It used to be. More like a prison now. Tanis has been hiding there since Viktor's order. We'll be the first people he's seen in centuries."

I bit my tongue at that last comment so that I wouldn't smile or laugh. The vampires must have been pretty thick to think that weasel hadn't found a way to circumvent their 'punishment.' When we came up to the gate, the vampire commented that she'd never seen it before and how odd it was. She was handing Michael a gun and getting ready to leave the vehicle when I beat her to the punch. She sent me a glare.

"What are you doing?"

"Think about this, vampire: you said that it was you who exiled him. I imagine that he isn't going to be too fond of seeing you after so long. Why not have another face be the first one in his sight? Things might go a little more smoothly."

"He won't open his doors to the likes of you," she retorted. I permitted a slight quark of my lips and motioned for Lucian to join me from where he'd stepped out as well.

"I think he might do just that," I replied as I turned to the gate and pushed it open. Lucian and I walked side-by-side towards the doors. I glanced up at the camera sitting in the middle of the cross and gave a grin. Inside the car, I could hear Selene speaking with the other Hybrid in hushed tones. She wasn't happy that I was interfering with how she wanted to do things. _Spoiled little Death Dealer bitch,_ I thought harshly. After a few moments, the door to the monastery opened to reveal Tanis himself. He had on a fur coat and leather pants. His eyes were the most unusual of the vampires I'd seen but I'd never really noticed until now that they were a greenish blue. He had no shirt on and there were fresh bite marks and blood on his neck and shoulders.

"Tanis. We have business to discuss," Lucian said in a conversational voice. The vampire was about to respond when he saw who was in the car behind us. He tried to slam the door shut but I was too fast for him and pushed him back. His Lycans wouldn't be attacking us today. They were loyal to Lucian. Inside, the blond vampire I'd seen before hissed at me and I transformed in response. She had a distinct look of terror on her face, having never seen the likes of me before and stayed rooted to the spot. She kept baring her fangs at me. Tanis took one look at me and lowered the gun he'd had tucked in the back of his pants. He wasn't taking chances.

"I see you've succeeded in creating a Hybrid," he gave a nervous laugh. I turned and looked at him, my words coming out in a harsher voice in my transformed state.

"More than one," I responded. By now, Selene and Michael were behind us. His eyes narrowed on the female vampire that he hated.

"Selene. I could smell the stench of Viktor's blood."

"We need to talk."

Although he was obviously shaken by our appearance, he put on a false bravado that I could applaud. I regressed back into my human form and the four of us followed him into the main area of his residence. He had a computer or two, a large bed covered in blankets and pillows that had been recently tussled and candles lit everywhere. Selene, disgusted by the luxury she was seeing, walked over to where a lacy bra was hanging and picked it up.

"Your exile seems a bit more comfortable than I remember."

"He has Lycan bodyguards, too," I chimed in. I received a sharp look from my lover and I just smiled in return. I was getting some kicks out of seeing our vampire companion squirm and this was going to be interesting.

"How does a vampire have Lycan bodyguards?" Michael asked as he raided the closet for a shirt that wasn't covered in bullet holes. Lucian did the same. I started rifling through the female vampires' clothes. A brunette and her blond counterpart were in the corner, seething as I picked through lacy bits that I found enticing and not so enticing ensembles. Tanis certainly enjoyed his women in lingerie. I snagged a bra that was about my size, two fitted tank tops and discarded my damaged coat for a supple leather jacket. I didn't bother with covering myself as I stripped off my damaged clothes. I was facing the group as I did this and I noticed that Tanis was staring at my breasts with rapt attention. I just raised an eyebrow while Michael, who followed the gaze, looked away. I continued, dressing in the cleaner clothes and feeling some satisfaction at knowing that it didn't matter whether it was vampire or Lycan, I was considered very attractive.

"A gift," He finally responded. "From a persuasive client."

"Lucian," Selene said as she turned and glared at him. He nodded. He didn't bother to hide it.

"Why would Lucian want to protect you?" Michael asked. Selene was by a tapestry that had a slight blue glow coming through the little holes that had been created by moths and insects over the centuries. She pulled it back to reveal hidden weapons that contained UV rounds, guns, shotguns, a crossbow and little disks I'd come to recognize as some rather effective grenades.

"Because he was trading with us," Lucian spoke up as Selene began to examine the stock.

"How long have you been in the business of killing your own kind?" She asked with vehemence.

"I've done what's necessary to survive. My decision was made easy the day your precious Viktor betrayed me."

"Betrayal was something he did very well. Viktor's dead. I killed him."

Tanis scoffed at that. "You? Kill Viktor? I think not." When she turned and gave him a hard look, there was a look of understanding that dawned on his face. "Oh, unless you've learned the truth. Your eyes are finally open. Isn't it interesting how the truth is even harder to absorb than light? You know, I tried to stop him, of course. A travesty, committing such a horrible crime. And then turning you. That was too much to take. My protests are exactly why he put me in here."

Selene was picking up a circular grenade when he addressed her, "Careful with that. Makes a terrible bang. Open the blades and they're active."

"Good to know. Viktor put you here for a reason but I doubt it was because you had moral qualms. What do you know?" she asked while she was arming herself. I walked over to the stockpile and was pleased to find several blades. I grabbed four of them and a belt to wear them crossing my chest, blades crossing and handles down for easy access. I put it on under the coat I'd snagged.

"Very little of anything, I'm afraid," the weasel of a vampire responded as he poured a glass of wine that was infused with blood. Selene pointed a crossbow and fired, causing the glass and its contents to explode upon him.

"Oh. Well, then perhaps I'm mistaken and there's no use for you at all."

"Marcus was after this. Why?" Michael asked as he tossed the pendant to him. Tanis caught it and when he opened his hand, it shook slightly. I glanced at Lucian and his eyes met mine briefly. Tanis looked back to Michael and began to head for some of his books. So, he knew about this pendant before and never said a word. Interesting.

"Some history is based on truth and others on deception. Viktor was not the first of our kind, as you were led to believe. He was once human, the ruler of these lands. Marcus. He's the one. The source. The first true vampire."

"So the legend is true."

"Toward the end of his ruthless life, when the next breath meant more to Viktor than silver or gold, Marcus came with an offer. A reprieve from sickness and death. Immortality. In return, Viktor was to use his army-turned-immortal to help him." He was looking through his massive volumes in his collection of writings as he spoke to us. He would glance our way as he did so, watching us for any moves that might endanger him.

"To do what?"

"To defeat the very first Werewolves. A dangerous and infectious breed, created by Marcus' own flesh and blood. His twin brother, William. But these weren't the Lycans we know. Disgusting though your brethren may be, they are at least evolved," his comments were directed to us Hybrids. "No, these were raging monsters. Never able to take human form again. It was only later generations that learned to channel their rage. And William's appetite for destruction and rampage was insatiable. He had to be stopped. And so, once Viktor's army was turned, the legions of vampires under his control tracked down and destroyed the animals, and then captured William, locking him away. Viktor's prisoner for all time."

"Why let him live?"

"For the same reason that Viktor never conspired against Marcus: fear. He was warned that should Marcus ever be killed, all those in his bloodline would follow him to the grave." He seemed to find the volume he was looking for and began to turn the pages.

"So, in Viktor's mind, William's death would be the end for all Lycans. His slaves," Selene deduced.

"A clever deception, isn't it?" I chimed in. "Lycanthropy and Vampirism are viral in nature, not supernatural. Back then, though, I doubt they had any idea of what it was, am I right?"

Tanis nodded. "Yes, a clever deception indeed. But one Viktor was hardly willing to put to the test. So, Marcus was protected at all costs. Ah, yes. Here we are." He opened the book to a page where a scene was drawn, a large contingent of warriors were riding past men burying the dead. There was an ornate crest on the banners and carts being drawn by the men in armor. It was a 'C' and 'V' superimposed upon one another.

"Vampires?" Michael questioned as he gazed at the picture.

"Mortals. Men loyal to Alexander Corvinus. The Father of us all." He began turning pages again and Selene put the muzzle of the gun down on a page he was trying to flip past, a question in her eyes.

"What's this?"

Tanis' mouth twisted into a small smile as he turned the page back to the one she indicated.

"You should know. It's William's prison. The prison your father was commissioned to build." The drawing looked like the cell was meant to keep the victim immobile and there were two keys drawn on the side. One was the pendant and the other looked like a piece that the pendant would fit into, the blades that popped out of the pendant would hold it in place. Selene looked lost in thought.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"She now understands why her family was killed."

"But that was many years later," Selene replied with a frown.

"The winter of Lucian's escape. Your father knew too much. Or, too much for Viktor to risk, especially when Lucian had the key to William's cell."

"And I'm the map."

"Yes. The only one living who has seen its location. Oh, Viktor realized that you would have been too young to remember explicitly, but Marcus knows that the memory, and, therefore, the exact location, is hidden away in your blood."

"Why is Marcus looking for him now, after all this time?" Michael stepped forward to ask.

"That I cannot answer." Selene cocked the gun. "But I do know someone who could stop him. Perhaps I could arrange a meeting. In exchange for your discretion, of course."

"Of course."

"I'm glad you were able to help us, old friend," Lucian smiled. Tanis gave a thin smile in return as he wrote down an address and handed it to him.

"There is a man at the docks. His name is Lorenz Macaro. Pier 17."

"Much obliged," I joked with a fake southern accent, tipping an imaginary hat. We left, the two female vampires rushing to him and rubbing themselves all over him. I felt disgust at the sight. Nasty little weasel. The four of us piled into the SUV and I found myself wondering about the four Lycans that still guarded our ally. They hadn't raised the alarm, so they were still patrolling. I wondered if Marcus would have the same thought to come here and if they would even be a match for the hideous Hybrid.

* * *

We arrived at the pier in silence and were stopped by armed men. They spoke in French. They demanded that we leave the car so they could see our hands. Selene held up the necklace and they guided us in. We boarded a ship and were brought before an older man. He had a regal look to him and his clothes, though seemingly out of time, were impeccable. He had pale skin, white hair, a white beard that was carefully trimmed and piercing blue eyes. I imagined that's where the shocking blue eye trait for both of our species had come from. Just a byproduct of his genetics. One of the armed guards handed him the necklace and as he examined it, he dismissed his men with a wave.

"So you are familiar with this?" Selene asked with arms crossed.

"Intimately." He responded as he pressed the green jewel and the blades popped out. She must have noticed something because she straightened slightly.

"You're Alexander Corvinus." It was a statement, not a question. I stood up straighter and Lucian's eyes widened slightly. I held an instant respect for the First Immortal. He was someone I'd heard of over the centuries and I had given an instant respect to him for being a creator to us all.

"There was a time that I was known by that name. By any name, I am still your forefather," he responded as he stood and took a gentler tone with Michael, handing him the pendant. He obviously kept track of his family line and I felt another surge of respect for him. I stepped forward and held out a hand for a handshake. He regarded me with narrowed eyes but did not take my hand. I remained undeterred.

"I'm Daenerys, Lord Corvinus," I addressed him formally. "I wish to give you my deepest thanks for the gift that your blood bestowed upon me so long ago."

"Gift?" he scoffed. "I do not consider this to be a gift. I am an oddity. A freak of nature."

"I consider it a gift. I would never have lived to see such wonders of the world, to see life in a way that no Mortal can. I hold a dear respect for that life and would seek to preserve it. If what I hear of William's insanity is true, I would not have it. I love this world, for all its faults, and would see it protected rather than destroyed." I was confident, impassioned as I spoke and Lucian had stepped up beside me, his hand grasping my shoulder in support. Alexander gave me a curious look before turning away.

"How have you stayed hidden all these years?" Selene asked before the Immortal could speak.

"Centuries I have stood by and watched the havoc my sons have wrought upon each other and upon humanity. Not the legacy I prayed for the morning I watched them enter this world. And tiresome duty. Keeping the war contained, cleaning up the mess. Hiding my family's unfortunate history."

"Couldn't you have stopped it?" Michael asked and Selene answered without hesitation for him.

"Yes."

"Could you kill your own sons?" He challenged with outrage in his voice.

"You know what Marcus will do. If he finds me, he finds William's prison. You need to help us stop him."

His eyes had widened slightly at hearing Selene's declaration. I would have bet that he didn't know that part of the equation when he did his factoring of the situation.

"You are asking me to help you kill my son? You? A Death Dealer? How many innocents did you kill in the six-century quest to avenge your family? Spare me your self-righteous declarations. You are no different from Marcus and even less noble than William. At least he cannot control his savagery!"

"Anything I have done can be laid at your feet. Hundreds of thousands have died because of your inability to accept that your sons are monsters, that they create monsters. You could've stopped all of this."

"Do not come groveling to me simply because you are weaker than your adversary," He replied in a low, angry voice.

"You know the devastation that William caused before he was captured. He cannot be set free."

Gunshots and a body crashing through the glass above us disrupted our talks and immediately, Lucian and I transformed. My claws were out and my teeth were bared. A spiked wing broke through the glass and impaled Michael through the chest, pulling him out of the room. Selene grabbed at the gun on the fallen man in front of us. Concern marred Alexander's face as he grabbed at her arm.

"No, wait! You're no match for him." She didn't comment and continued towards the broken window, jumping through. Lucian raced to the door and went outside to keep guard there while I got myself into a vantage point where I could see the two broken windows easily. I looked to the Immortal and drew the two new blades I'd taken from Tanis. Marcus must have made quick work of the Lycans and the vampire girls Tanis had if he'd gotten here so quickly after us. I'd hoped that they would buy us more time.

"I'll try to hold him off if he gets to this room," I assured him. He stared at me with a measure of incredulity.

"You truly wish to protect the world from my sons?" he asked and while I heard the sound of machine gunfire distract me briefly, I turned and nodded. He regarded me for a moment. There were screams coming from outside the door now and I realized that he would come in through there. I turned and readied myself. I could hear Lucian roar as he fought against Marcus and the door was torn open with a shriek of metal. He came in, his flesh changing back to a more human pink, Lucian being held by the throat. He was kicking and struggling, his claws gouging the Elder's arm in its leather jacket. He looked me square in the eye as he snapped Lucian's neck. I howled in rage and let the two daggers hidden at my hips fly across the room and bury themselves in his chest as he threw down my lover's body. The other two daggers I twirled in my hands and raced across the room to slash at him. Marcus's speed was impressive. He dodged my blows and hissed as he slashed back with the daggers he'd pulled from his chest.

We fought like that for several minutes, our prowess with the weapons matched, though he was physically stronger than I was by leaps and bounds. He'd been alive for more than a thousand years and had that strength, plus the Hybrid blood, to his advantage. I had only been around a few hundred years and though my being a Hybrid was an advantage, I still wasn't strong enough. He disarmed me with a powerful swipe of one of his wings and pinned me to a wall with the other. I could see his human countenance was quite handsome. I imagine that if I'd met him first instead of Lucian, I might have become a vampire instead.

He had a bloodied, trimmed beard and long hair he held back with braids. He had strawberry hair, flaming red I'd been hopelessly attracted to in my youth. Now, he stood as the monster that might have killed my lover. His pointed nose flared at the blood from the wound he'd inflicted and his hands grasped the daggers he'd claimed from me. He raised one of my arms above my head and pierced a dagger through my wrist. I changed back to my human form as I cried out in pain. I was unable to concentrate enough to make anything fly to my rescue. He took my other arm and did the same with it. Marcus drew in close, his shocking blue eyes narrowed in hunger, though I suspected it was for the blood now pulsing from my wounds. He ran his nose along my neck, taking in the scent.

"You're mated to Lucian," he muttered with interest. "Sonja was his one and only. Or so we thought. I wonder how you managed to capture his interest, little wolf. It is something that I will have to investigate at a later date."

He stepped back and pulled his wing from my shoulder and I was left hanging by the blades. He grabbed another from the ground and buried it in my side. I screamed in shock. He grinned in pleasure at my pain and then turned to look at his father. Under my watch, Alexander had taken the second part of the key, which he'd had in a cabinet behind him, and pocketed it in the expanse of his coat.

"Hello, father."

"You are unwelcome in my presence." The exchange was cold and harsh. Marcus turned his bloodstained mouth into a smile and looked to the ground for a moment.

"Ah. The predictable heart that never thaws. Pity it beats within such a fool. The Eldest of the Immortals, yet you have made no attempt to seize your destiny."

"We are oddities of nature, you and I. Nothing more! This is a world is for humanity."

"And that petty sentiment explains why you rejected your sons? Why you stood by for over half a millennium as William suffered alone, in darkness? No, Father. I have no respect for your petty sentiment. Viktor's key. Where is it?"

"Whatever plan you have for William is futile. You cannot control your brother!"

"Oh, I am stronger now. And our bond is greater than you have ever wanted to acknowledge."

"You're wrong. Soon you'll be drowning in Lycans, just like before."

"Your bond will only go so far as him not killing you, Marcus," I groaned from my spot on the wall. My toes are what kept my feet from dangling completely and what little purchase they had were painfully bought. I was pulling one wrist through the blade to the hilt, using the dwindling strength I had to press against the hilt and pull the blade from the wall behind me. I had just succeeded when Marcus came over to me and wrapped a hand around my throat. The other pulled my remaining wrist down with a painful flourish, ripping the blade from my flesh in the process. I still had a dagger in my side and my right wrist. He approached his father angrily and held me up to him.

"I won't be drowning in Lycans, Father. Or vampires. I will have these and creatures like myself," He declared, shaking me about. I cried out in pain, my slowly healing arm coming to grasp his wrist about my throat. "I will make them in the image of their new god. Me. And gods don't have fathers."

He threw me down to the ground next to Alexander and picked up a sword on display. He used a wing to Alexander's shoulder to pin him against the wall. Before I could even attempt to stand, he impaled the Immortal. Blood immediately flowed from the wound and some of it splashed into my mouth. He paid me no heed and searched Alexander's coat, finding the second part of the key quickly. He disengaged the wing and sword, dropping the weapon to the ground. I was weak and the smell of the blood pooling on the ground called to me. I needed strength and though I had no idea what would become of me, I looked to the fallen Immortal, a man who stared at me as the blood from his wounds pooled closer to my face and mouthed, "I'm sorry," to him. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod and I began to suck the blood from the ground as quickly as I could. I was able to suck in several mouthfuls before Marcus noticed and with an odd look in his eye, tore the blade from my right wrist. I cried out in pain.

"I was going to leave you here but perhaps I can amuse myself with you." He grabbed me by the throat and dug the dagger he'd just taken from my wrist into my other side. I moaned in pain as he changed to his hybrid form and wrapped me under his arm before taking flight. I barely noticed the sound of the incoming helicopter as massive leathery wings took us to William's prison.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of a graphic and sexually explicit nature. It is not recommended for those who will find it offensive. Please use your discretion as you read on. Please note that I do not condone such actions taken by the character in this story and it may be perceived as being OOC (Out of Character) to some.**

Chapter 13

When we arrived, the area was deep under water and Marcus found a way to get us inside without having to swim. The area we dropped into was relatively dry. I was dropped unceremoniously to the ground I made a move to crawl away from the Elder Hybrid but he placed a massive boot on my back, near one of the daggers he'd plunged into me. I cried out in pain. He'd hit several nerves when he'd stabbed me and I was bleeding from the wounds sluggishly.

"What are you?" he wondered aloud as he picked me up by the thick braid my hair was in and stared me in the face. His other hand wrapped around my throat and he pressed me against the stone wall, his nose going to my throat. He inhaled deeply of my scent and I felt sick to the stomach as his tongue came out to lap at the blood that had dried on my cheek while he flew us to his destination. He gave a dark chuckle and then turned me around so that my cheek was against the wall. I could see him out of the corner of my eye and gasped raggedly in pain as he pulled the dagger out of my left side. He pulled down the shoulder of the jacket I was wearing and used the blade to draw a thin line of blood from my flesh, where he leaned in and began to suck from it. His eyes were closed at first and then snapped open. I imagined that he was seeing my memories and groaned as he held the blade against my side again when I tried to shift from his grasp.

He pulled back with a gasp and then pressed his mouth to my ear. "Fascinating," he breathed. "Such power in this body and yet it is never passed on to others when you change them. What other surprises do you hold?" I tried to push against the wall and he used the dagger to pin my left hand in place. I cried out in pain and he shifted the dagger in my right side to a different position as he pressed me back into my place.

"Now, now. Is that any way to treat your lord and master?" he purred into my ear and I cursed my inability to defend myself. I vowed to teach myself to use my abilities while under such duress in the future. I'd never needed to before and it had become my downfall. I couldn't concentrate enough to stop him from hurting me more. I was powerless and it enraged me rather than scare me.

"I have no master," I hissed between ragged breaths of agony as he twisted the blade in the wound. My answer must have angered him because he gave a rougher shove at the handle.

"Perhaps not. But I've always wondered," he responded as I heard something clicking and moving behind me and then an unwanted hand delve into the front of my pants and touch me. We'd made it to this place very quickly, far more quickly than something, like a helicopter, would have made it here. I felt bile rise in my throat as I realized what he intended on doing with the extra time. He was rubbing and massaging me and my body turned traitor as I moistened at the touch. A sly chuckle in my ear made my heart thrum with terror as that hand unbuttoned and unzipped my pants and then roughly pulled them down to my knees. "I've always wanted to know what it was like to fuck a Lycan bitch. I heard there's nothing like it."

"No!" I cried out. I struggled harder and he produced another blade that I hadn't seen before. He held my other arm up against the chill of the stone and dug it into my hand and pinned it to the wall. There was nothing I could do but I refused to let him see me crumble. He entered me roughly and a small cry left my lips. I was in agony as he pounded into me at a punishing rate and was horrified when he tried to make me feel good too, his fingers massaging be between my thighs. The dagger in my side moved with every thrust he made and my fingernails broke against the stone as I tried to move them into a fist. He was moving faster now, putting his face next to mine. I could see his eyes closing in bliss, his mouth opened slightly in ecstasy. He was moaning against my shoulder as he roughly took his pleasure from my unwilling body. He dug his fingers in against my apex and forced me to climax just before he did as well with a deep groan. I found myself biting my lip until it bled, wishing he would stop his pounding thrusts. When he withdrew from me, I wanted to throw up.

"It was better than I thought it would be," he said from behind me. I heard the clinking of chains before he wrapped a shackle around one wrist, pulling the blade from my hand and then brought the other one out. I was weakened by the blood loss, the pain I'd been forced to endure, so I could only find it in myself to stand there while he bound me. Emotions were running high in me and I couldn't find it in myself to speak. "I may let William have a turn at you. I don't think he's had a woman since he turned."

"You're insane," I whispered hoarsely. I ached with pain all over and Marcus had likely torn me up a bit. The dagger in my right side was twisted slightly and I screamed. Then he entered me again, roughly. I could see the contempt on his face as he thrust again and again, his hand on the dagger to control me. He pulled out and turned me around to face him, his length pressing against my stomach as he got close.

"You are beneath me and I will do with you as I wish, _slave._ " He forced as much space as he could between my thighs before thrusting into me again, this time looking straight into my eyes. When I started to change into my hybrid form to fight back, he plunged another into my back, just above where my kidney would be and I gasped. He took his pleasure from me once again, climaxing as he pulled the blade out and stabbed me again in the same spot. I realized from the look on his face that he would much rather have a willing partner but would elicit similar reactions with pain if he must. He pulled from me again, this time adjusting himself back into his pants as he chuckled. He'd raped me twice in less than twenty minutes. He forced the pants that were bunched at my knees back up and zipped them for me, ignoring the button. Marcus grabbed the chains he'd put me in and found a torch. With some flint from his pocket, he lit it and began guiding me down the pathways. He'd raped me to show his dominance, but I only saw the sickening, cowardly bastard he was.

He found ancient colorful pictures of the sun painted on the stone wall and he then led me to a wall. We were in water that was up to our chests. He let go of my chains to pull out the two parts of the key and put them together, one clicking into place with the other. I began to hear a helicopter coming in the distance and I realized he couldn't hear it. Alexander's blood must be beginning to have an effect on me and I prayed it would give me strength. He placed the key into a notch that was below the water and turned it. The wall before us lifted to reveal another passageway. He took the keys and grabbed the chain from under the water to pull me behind him. I stumbled forward on stones that had fallen to the ground over the centuries as we came out of the water to where the prison I'd seen in Tanis' book before me. He dropped the torch and took the key to the lock before him. One hand on the chains he used to bind me, he turned the key in the lock and held anticipation in his eyes as the chamber began opening before him, pieces of the lock pulling open.

"William," he whispered as the doors pulled back to reveal a massive white Lycan. He was almost twice as big as Lucian or I had been in that form and his muzzle was twice as long. Lucian had told me about the Werewolves of old, the ones he had been actually born from. Their muzzles were longer, they were larger and fiercer than any Lycan he'd ever introduced her to. In the war's beginning, within the first thirty years after taking the Keep, those of William's original rage were wiped out. They had come at his beckoning in the early days and had bent to his will. He had speculated that he might have been able to calm William if he'd still roamed free but he wasn't willing to take that chance. The great wolf didn't move at first and then surged forward, milky white eyes and snarling face trained on his more human twin. He let out a horrible roar.

"Wait! No, William, Stop! Be still brother! It's me. I'd no sooner harm you than myself," He cried with a hand on the massive beast's chest. I could hear someone ask which way in the distance and the sloshing of water. I turned to look away down the corridor we'd come down, hoping they weren't far behind. Marcus pulled me behind him as he could hear it too. I was struck across the face and went down hard. William and Marcus disappeared from my sight and it was only moments later that I saw Selene and humans behind her. I looked for Lucian and could not see him amongst them. Selene, having some pity for my overly disheveled state, knelt at my side.

"The daggers, get them out. They've gone into hiding here, somewhere," I gasped as she pulled out the blades. I sighed in relief as she blasted a hole in each of the locks on the chains. I pulled them off gratefully and one of the armed men behind her pulled out a blood bag and tossed it to me. I think it was labelled 'O Negative' and realized it was probably from a med kit. I tore it open and fed hungrily. I felt the wounds on my body closing up a thousand times faster than they ever had before. I drained the bag completely and shifted to my Hybrid form but it was different than it was before. I could feel that my face didn't change much. In fact, I would wager that it remained more human than ever. My mouth was still full of the row of fangs and my nails still grew into claws. My flesh wasn't turning quite so dark and my limbs felt stronger. I let out a roar and it came out with a shrill shriek attached to it. Alexander Corvinus' blood had changed me further, it would seem. My heightened senses were just the tip of the iceberg.

"Where did they go?" Selene asked after a second of staring at my new form. I pointed back the way they'd just come and that's when the gunshots started. And the screaming. We saw the massive wolf as he took out another of the men and roared. While Selene was shooting that way, I grabbed a gun off another man and shot at the creature as well. I couldn't let these monsters get out of here. And I had a score to settle with Marcus. I never would forgive a rapist and he had shown me the pleasure he took in his misdeed. I would kill him for that. I had followed the bulk of the men down the passageway, firing at the great white beast. Behind me, Selene had been attacked by Marcus and was struggling with him. I strained to see if Lucian was anywhere in sight but still saw nothing. I grabbed one of the men and turned him around. He registered surprise but managed to not shoot me.

"Where is Lucian?" I demanded.

"He's in the chopper. He wasn't moving when we found him and Selene said we should bring him along with the other Hybrid's body," He responded as he reloaded his rifle. My heart dropped. _His body? Did Marcus kill him? And Michael?_ I felt like my whole world had imploded. My rage began to boil within me and droplets of water, pieces of rock and pebbles started to float around me. I looked up at the roaring wolf and bared my teeth at it. I had a ring of matter defying gravity as I stepped towards the great wolf. It roared as it crouched, ready to pounce on me. When it did, I froze it in the air and it wriggled uselessly in place. I turned my head to the opposite side of the room and he flew there faster than other people could see. William howled in pain. My concentration was broken by the sound of the door coming down. I turned to see that Selene had managed to lock Marcus behind it, for now. He shrieked in a human voice and then his Hybrid voice.

I turned back to where I'd tossed William but he was gone. Then he attacked again. Selene pulled the disk grenades from her pockets and pressed a button. The blades opened and she tossed them at the spot on the ceiling where William had crawled. He jumped out of the way too quickly and instead, the ceiling was destroyed. Snow began to fall into the tall room and the men in the room that hadn't been attacked already were now being mauled by the creature. I leapt into the air and flew up to the helicopter that was slowly coming closer. There were two soldiers inside and two body bags. One was flapping open and I could see Michael with a huge hole in his chest and right hand. I floated into the chopper and one of the soldiers trained his high-powered rifle on me. I glared at him as I opened the second bag. Lucian. His neck was twisted at an odd angle and I felt my heart ache. I bit my wrist and forced some of my blood into his mouth and prayed that it would be enough. I saw a finger twitch from Michael's body bag and noticed the wound in his chest was closing up. _If he could survive that, there is a chance for Lucian,_ I thought. I turned back to the fight down below and took a step out, allowing myself to have a controlled descent back into the fray.

The corpses of the men that William had mauled were beginning to twitch. I watched in mild fascination as one of them began to move and then transform under the light of the full moon shining through the hole in the ceiling. They turned into slightly smaller, black haired versions of William. When they got up and started attacking, Selene and I went back-to-back, fighting against these new monstrosities. She depended on guns, while I was using my new strength to fight back. A single blow to the chest would send a body across the room with a snap to the sternum. So engrossed in my task, I didn't notice that Michael had joined the fight until the last of the turned were put down. Selene's face softened as she approached her lover and I felt a pang in my heart that mine hadn't yet risen. I hoped he would heal soon. I needed him, now more than ever. I needed his strength.

William attacked just as Selene and Michael were about to touch and she reacted by grabbing the nearest automatic weapon and opening fire. Behind us, Marcus had finally freed himself from his brother's tomb and the soldier on the helicopter above began firing on the white wolf. I turned and faced Marcus. I could see myself reflected in his black eyes and my suspicions were proven correct. I had retained a more human appearance and my eyes had changed again. Now, they were black sclera with glowing, pulsing electric blue for irises. I gave a cry of rage as I slashed forward, filled with satisfaction when a deep gash appeared on his chest. He delivered a massive backhand and I flew across the room. I was able to halt myself from crashing into a wall and looked up with burning eyes just in time to see him grab the rope that was dangling from above and give a massive pull. The helicopter didn't stand a chance. It was pulled down to the doom of its occupants and while the machine didn't explode, the damaged rotors continued to spin wildly. I saw Lucian's body fall from its bag and hit the ground.

A chain wrapped around the tail of the vehicle kept it from hitting the ground and the rotors spun ominously in the middle of a bridge that'd been half taken out. Marcus would have focused more on me but Selene beat me to it. Just as I was about to surge forward and help her to destroy this beast, I felt a sensation that I hadn't felt for centuries. It started out as a tingling on the flesh and as I looked at my left arm in horror, the foreign lettering that I'd never been able to find a translation for began to emerge. I raced towards Lucian, the battle around me forgotten. I shook his shoulders and began to beg him to wake. I couldn't leave. I couldn't go, not like this. Not without him. I would drag him with me if I could. Behind me, I heard a terrible, shrill roar and saw Michael rip the top off of William's head. I looked up to see that Selene was in the middle of killing Marcus. She threw his body into the spinning blades of the helicopter and he was torn asunder. I felt a surge of pleasure at seeing my rapist suffer but it was brief. The burning sensation on my chest was getting worse and the cold was beginning to set in as well.

I returned to shaking my lover, hoping that he would show signs of life. Reality began to warp around me and a sob choked its way from my lips. Just as the singularity began to form and pull me in, I saw it: a flutter in his eyelids and then his eyes opened, training on me. I reached out for him in a wordless cry and he reached for me with horror as he realized I was slipping away. It was too late. Darkness surrounded me and swallowed me whole.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of voices all around me. They were worried, for the most part, but confused. I heard two British accents and one that was distinctly American. Home-grown Iowa or Idaho, if I had to guess. I knew my American accents well. I groaned as I turned from lying on my side to my back and opened my eyes. Wherever I was, it certainly did not seem like any place I'd ever seen before. The walls had a golden look to them with hexagons surrounding circles that glowed with light. Arches from the floors to the ceiling looked organic, as though they were trees that had grown up towards the ceiling to hold it up. The floor was made up of metal grates and I was lying beside a great big console with a glass center that glowed slightly green. Cables crisscrossed various areas around me and I wasn't sure but I saw two wooden doors that a ramp led down to. There were opaque white windows that had six panes on each door right at the eyelevel. My head pounded and I rolled back to my side in order to get up. I was covered in filth and blood. I'm sure that was a bit of a shock to wherever I'd just arrived.

"Are you all right?" a young blond girl asked. She had big blue eyes, full lips and was wearing a short jean skirt, leggings, flats and a Union Jack shirt. She had genuine concern written all over her features. I was still a little wobbly from the singularity and gave a vague nod. I stood up and glanced at the two others in the room. They were men, one was very tall and had very closely cropped brown hair with blue eyes. His nose and ears were quite large and his lips were pursed as he looked at me. He was a man of a suspicious nature, then. Good on him. He wore a thigh-length leather jacket, black shirt and jeans. The other man was the American, I was sure of it. He had that sexy cowboy look about him and that all-American boyish face. Strong jaw, piercing blue eyes, straight nose and black hair with a broad chest in a blue shirt. He was wearing jeans that were tighter than I'd expect any man to wear unless he was looking to get some. He exuded sex. As interested as I might have been a few months ago, I felt my chest tighten. I wanted Lucian.

"Where am I?" I asked as I continued my examination of my new surroundings. If I'd traveled to another alternate reality, I needed to get myself settled in pretty quickly. Maybe I could find some way back to Lucian? I hoped so.

"Right now we're in Kyoto, 1336. You're in the Tardis," The tall one with the funny ears said. What he was saying flew over my head. The dark haired one moved to help me up and I ripped my arm from his grasp. I didn't want to be touched right now. Not at all.

"I don't like to be touched," spilled from my mouth. He raised an eyebrow but moved back. I decided to introduce myself. "I'm Danni."

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness," he grinned at me. It was a cheesy sort of grin and I was sure it was meant to be disarming but I'd just been raped only hours ago. I wasn't in any mood. The blond stepped forward and held out her hand. I didn't take it.

"I'm Rose and this is the Doctor," She said as she gestured to the other man. I nodded.

"I'd say 'nice to meet you' except I have no idea how I got here," I responded. The pain in my head was nearly gone and I noticed there was the smell of food in the vicinity. I saw some bags of take out on a console. Rose followed my gaze and went over to grab something out of the bag. She came back over with a cheeseburger and fries.

"You look pretty hungry. Go ahead, have my sandwich and chips. We always get extra, so I won't go hungry," she offered as she handed it to me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle food. Michael hadn't. But, then again, Alexander's blood had changed me. Who knows what I could handle now unless I tried it. I took the sandwich and sniffed it. Onions, mayo and lettuce with ketchup on a meat patty and sesame bun. I took a bite and chewed carefully before swallowing. I didn't notice any discomfort so I took another bite, nodding my thanks. I was really, truly hungry. I devoured the sandwich and the chips faster than I had eaten anything in a while. I was handed a glass of water by Jack and I gulped it down gratefully.

"How did you get aboard the Tardis?" the Doctor asked. I looked over at him and shrugged as I swallowed another glass of water.

"I don't know. One minute, I'm in a battle for my life. The next, I'm here. That's the way it happened before, the last two times. I hoped it was over with and done but… I guess not." My face finally crumbled a little. It finally hit me that Lucian really wasn't here. I sagged back to the floor and choked back the tears that threatened to fall. My heart clenched. "He's gone. I'll never see him again."

"Who's gone?" the Doctor asked. He had a thick Northern English accent that grabbed my attention. "What do you mean this has happened before?"

I looked up and clenched my jaw together to keep myself from turning into an emotional mess. I'd become a strong Lycan warrior and now I was facing a moment where I really needed to keep my cool. "The first time this happened, I was twenty-three years old and I was living with Mimzy, my cat. I got a package in the mail and inside was this necklace that was made up of precious stones. There was a design on it with a red ruby that was acting as a sun that shined down on these diamonds and sapphires that made up what must have been a crescent moon that was shining up. I'd never seen anything like it. It was wrapped in a cloth that had some kind of language I'd never seen on it. I went to a mirror and tried the necklace on and I was holding the cloth when the necklace started getting hot and cold at the same time. It burned my skin with heat and frostbite. And the cloth, it wrapped around my hand so tight it actually broke the bones. Then, I don't know if it's just my perception or if it really is that, but a black hole opened up behind me and pulled me in. I found myself in another place. I thought it just put me somewhere else but I was in another reality. One where I didn't exist."

"That's impossible," Jack retorted as he crossed his arms.

"Impossible happens all the time," the Doctor replied and then nodded to me. "Go on. Tell us more."

"I was exposed to… something almost as soon as I arrived. Some kind of crystal that pulsed with sound and light. It did something to me. Gave me terrible headaches. It did it to others, too. After I got medical treatment and found a place to live for a little while, I got pulled through another black hole. That necklace and that cloth? They got absorbed into my body the first time this happened and they only reappear when I'm getting pulled to another place, I think. The next place, I was there for a long time… I fell in love and I became part of a terrible war between two factions," I explained. I didn't know who these people were but given my odd surroundings and that they didn't dismiss me out of hand when I was talking, I guessed that they might be scientists at the very least. Perhaps this reality was scientifically advanced? Either way, I wouldn't risk telling them about vampires and werewolves just yet. I had no idea if they'd believe me.

"We were about to make a move that would end the war and create a lasting peace when things broke down. The leader of the opposing faction took me hostage. He…" Emotions flickered across my face and I think they got the gist of what happened to me. "We were fighting him and his brother when my husband, for lack of better term, was badly injured. We were only inches away from each other when I got pulled here. When I was pulled away from my Lucian."

The Doctor was at the console in a flash, twisting knobs, tapping buttons, pumping some kind of nozzle in a crazy fashion. The others seemed a bit surprised by his leap to action. "You might have a trans-dimensional field that envelopes you and if I can trace it through the subspace pocket that deposited you into this reality, we might be able to find the way back to the original coordinates that you were plucked from in that last place! This is Fantastic! Trans-dimensional subspace travel within a set coordinate universe!"

I looked at him with wide eyes. "In English?"

"If I'm clever, and I'm very clever, I might be able to deduce the coordinates from which you came into this reality and find some way to reverse the polarity of the subspace pocket to send you back."

"But what about the necklace and the cloth? Don't you need to study them or get some idea of what they're made of before you start messing with that stuff?" I asked. I had no idea what he would or wouldn't need at this point, but I was barely keeping up with what he was saying. He was about to respond when a bright light filled the room. I was blinded by it. Cries of confusion filled the air. When my eyes cleared and I could finally see what was happening around me, I was in a very white room with two robots with oddly shaped heads. I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Oh, dear lord. That outfit is just too grunge. We need to correct this issue immediately."

 _What?_

* * *

 _This universe has some serious nut jobs that need to be taken care of,_ I determined as I forced the door of the room open. The robots had decided to disintegrate my clothes, for which I was somewhat grateful, and gave me something new to wear. They kept trying to put me into different outfits and I was trying to tell them I wasn't interested. Then they asked if I'd ever thought of having cosmetic surgery before pulling out a rotary saw and a scalpel attached to their arms. I pulled their heads off their bodies before they could get too close and threw them across the room before forcing my way out into a hallway. I was wandering down a corridor filled with doors like the one I'd just gotten out of when I saw Jack with some sort of modified weapon in hand do the same quite a ways down from me.

"Danni! Over here!" he called. I ran to him and he gave an appreciative glance that didn't last long. I'd been put into dark, tight jeans and the shirt was a low cut take on a peasant top in burgundy. My hair had been washed of the blood and dirt and was gleaming as it flowed down my back. I began to run with him to his destination. We found our way to an elevator and above that, it stated that this was floor 299. He got the door open and we both went inside. He looked at a device on his wrist that was beeping. He tapped on it and a grin spread across his face.

"Two hearts, that's him! But which floor?" He must have seen his answer because he walked over to the console and tapped in which floor he wanted and turned to me. "What did they do for you?"

"They wanted to give me a new look and then they wanted to cut my fingers off and sew them to my ears. I managed to get away." I was deliberately vague. Didn't trust anyone here just yet. He nodded absentmindedly as we stopped at a floor that he'd been looking for. We found the Doctor and another blond that had her hair in two small messy buns on either side of her head. She seemed like a sweet girl. She was introduced to me as Lynda, with a 'y'.

"Hey handsome! Good to see you! Any sign of Rose?"

"Can't _you_ track her down?" the Doctor asked irritably.

"No, she must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded."

"I just need to get inside this computer. She's got to be here somewhere."

"You'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending," Jack responded. He pulled the device from his wrist and handed it to the Doctor.

"Do you think I don't know that?" He growled back as he took the device.

"Here you go. Patch that in. It's programmed to find her."

"Thanks."

"Hey there. Captain Jack Harkness." He was using the same cheesy grin he'd used on me.

"Hello! Lynda Moss!" Lynda responded cheerily. I kind of wanted to punch her in the face for being too sweet.

"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss," Jack responded.

"You mind flirting outside?" the Doctor asked without looking up from his work.

"I was just saying hello," he responded with a hurt look.

"For you, that's flirting."

"I'm not complaining," Lynda responded with a big smile.

"Muchas gracias," Jack grinned and kissed her hand. What the hell is going on here? These people seem to thrive on danger and think this whole thing is amusing or sexy. What kind of upside-down universe did I get tossed into?

* * *

The kind of terror I saw on the faces of those men and women on floor 500 when they heard the name 'Dalek' was almost comical. So was the shock on their faces when the Doctor declared that he was going to rescue Rose, whom we thought had been disintegrated but had really been teleported to the ships of an evil alien race called the Daleks, who were hell-bent on destroying the Earth and turning it into their own version of hateful heaven. Or, at least that's what I had figured out for myself since I stepped in the little blue box that was bigger on the inside after we stormed floor 500 for answers. The Doctor, as soon as I entered the 'Tardis,' assured me that I wasn't forgotten. He told me that he would figure out what happened with me as soon as this matter was resolved. I just nodded. Everything was going over my head and I was going to be hopeless to catch up on events. I was still trying to understand how a blue box could have an entire ship inside of it. If I knew my sci-fi technology from the novels I'd consumed in my youth, it must be an artificially created subspace pocket. Or I was talking out of my ass.

We were back on the Game Station as Lynda-with-a-y called it. The Doctor was putting things together to create a delta wave, which would kill every living thing on the station. Including me. I was starting to pray that I would be shifted to another dimension before that happened. I still needed to get back to Lucian. I had so much to tell him, so much that we needed to experience together. I was shaken from those thoughts by a gun being put into my hands by Jack. He hadn't tried to be so flirty with me and I was grateful for it.

"I'm going to go upstairs to level 500. I'll be the last line of defense while he's finishing up this… delta wave… thing." Jack laughed and nodded.

"I'm going to level zero to see if I can find some volunteers."

"Good luck." I didn't know what else to say. He nodded and then clapped me on the shoulder before heading for the lift. I smiled and looked out the window at the Earth below. I was stunned when I first saw the view. There were massive clouds of what Lynda had identified as a great smog storm covering large parts of the world. I was disgusted by that. How could people not have taken better care of the planet? _Plant some fucking trees, for Pete's sake._ I went to the lift and pressed the call button. He came up pretty fast and I stepped inside as soon as the doors were wide enough. I tapped in the number for 500 and rose up to that floor in seconds.

The doors opened to reveal the Doctor and Rose sitting in the middle of a mess of wires. They were having a quiet conversation, so I had thought about just staying out in the hallway when Rose called to me.

"Danni, is it? Come on over. Help us with these, will ya?"

"Sure." I put the gun down and strode over, knowing my purpose. I was going to help them strip these wires until it was time to defend this level against these Daleks. I couldn't help but want to laugh. These creatures, as horrible as they were, looked like oddly shaped trash cans with gold balls all over their exterior in perfect lines and toilet plungers as one of their arms. They had a stalk that contained a camera as their view into the world and a laser as their other arm. They were hysterical to look at but terrifying in their purpose.

I mostly tuned out the conversation that the Doctor and Rose were having, trying to make myself invisible to them. They were talking about why the Doctor couldn't just go back in time to change these events. Apparently, there were rules. I figured as much. Science fiction tells a lot of half-baked facts but I knew that sometimes facts were the basis of the best lies. Time cannot be played with. Crossing your own timeline is a good way to create a paradox. A sound made the Doctor jump up.

"The delta wave started building! How long until its ready?" he said excitedly. He ran to a console and hung his head when he read it.

"Okay, is that bad? Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?" Rose asked worriedly. He didn't answer. Then, without warning, he jumped up with an excited look on his face.

"Rose Tyler, you're a genius!" he shouted and kissed her forehead. The grin on her face told me what I needed to know about that pair. She was in love with the Doctor and, even if he didn't say so, he was in love with her. "We can do it! If I use the Tardis to cross my own timeline… Yes!"

He started running back to the blue box and I was in his way until I jumped out of it. I kept my eyes on them, wide with anticipation. I didn't hear what he said when he ran inside with her following close behind. He was only in there for about a minute before he ran out, closing the door behind him. He stopped dead and with an apologetic glance to me, pulled out some kind of device that glowed blue at the end and I heard the engines of the Tardis begin to groan while the light on the top began to blink. To my astonishment, the box began to fade in pulses before finally disappearing entirely. The Doctor stared at that spot, as did I, for a long moment before he turned to me.

"I'm sorry. I had to send her back home. She's only nineteen and I can't let anything happen to her. She's my good friend. It means I won't be able to help you get back to your home now. I'm sorry," he said softly. I stared at him for a long moment before nodding.

"I get it. If our positions were reversed, I would do the same. You did the right thing. Besides, if these Daleks were to win, you couldn't guarantee her safety or life if she stayed. Don't apologize for doing the right thing."

He seemed to take comfort in my words, even if it was a small measure. We kept working in silence, I taking his instruction to the letter as we readied ourselves for the battle to come. There was a tone and I heard Jack's voice on the monitor nearby.

"Rose, I've called up the laser codes. There should be a different number on every screen. Can you read them out to me?" I got up and went to the monitor.

"Rose isn't here, Jack. I'll read them to you."

"Where did she go? Heck of a time to take a leak. Let me know when she gets back and she can take over."

"She's not coming back," the Doctor responded from his place behind me.

"What do you mean? Where did she go?"

"Just get on with your work," he replied.

"You took her home, didn't you?" his voice was a little lower.

"Yeah."

"The delta wave. Is it ever going to be ready?"

The voice of the Dalek emperor boomed over the speakers and screens.

"Tell him the truth, Doctor. There is every possibility the delta wave will be complete but no possibility of refining it. The delta wave must kill every living thing in its path with no distinction between human and Dalek. All things will die by your hand."

"Doctor, the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth," Jack said slowly.

"You would destroy Daleks and humans together. If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?"

"There are colonies out there. The human race will survive in some shape or form. But you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole universe is in danger if I let you live. Do you see, Jack?" the Doctor responded, turning to the monitor where the handsome American was staring back. "That's the decision I have to make for every living thing – die as a human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?"

"You sent her home. She's safe. Keep working."

"But he will exterminate you!" the Dalek emperor retorted.

"Never doubted him, never will!" Jack responded with the kind of confidence I found inspiring. Perhaps this Doctor would pull off some kind of miracle.

"Now you tell me, 'God of all Daleks,' because there's one thing I never worked out: the words "Bad Wolf" spread across the universe, drawing me in. How did you manage that?" My head snapped around so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. _Bad Wolf?_ I thought. _That's the nickname the vampires gave me in the 17_ _th_ _century when I made a point of attacking any vampire that dared to wear red, just for fun. They called me the Big Bad Wolf of Essex for a while. What does the 'Bad Wolf' have to do with anything here?_ I realized that Jack could see me and narrowed his eyes at me when he saw my reaction.

"I did nothing."

"Oh, come on. There are no secrets no, your worship!"

"They are not part of _my_ design. This is the truth of God."

The Doctor turned off the screens then and had a look of pure frustration on his face. It wasn't long after that moment we heard the fleet had accelerated. They arrived earlier than predicted and Jack began shouting commands through the communications. They mostly centered on firing concentrated bursts at the stalk on the head and that was where they were weakest. I stopped stripping wires and took up a defensive position with the gun I'd propped up earlier. The Doctor had a frown on his face as he continued to work, glancing at me every so often. We could hear the beginning of the fight over the communications system.

"When I mentioned Bad Wolf, you had a look on your face," the Doctor began with a glance at me. I thought he'd missed it but I realized he hadn't.

"Yes."

"Why?" I took a deep breath, not sure how this would go down.

"That war between factions I told you about?" He nodded. I looked back towards the doors on the other side of the room. "During that war, I was called the Big Bad Wolf by the enemy. If I saw one of them in the color red out in the forest at night, I'd command a strike. It was an intimidation tactic but after a while, they gave me that name. I was the Bad Wolf of Essex for fifteen years."

"But that isn't the whole story." He was brilliant at seeing the subtext.

"No, but it's not a story for right now, if that's all right. It's still too close to me."

He nodded and kept working. We received word that instead of just coming up, the Daleks were going to level zero as well. They were going to kill the unarmed civilians that were hiding down there. There was nothing we could do. When Jack radioed that level 499 was overrun and he was running out of bullets, we heard his final shot. The Dalek that killed him uttered its favorite word, "Exterminate!"

"I kind of figured that," was the Captain's reply before we heard the laser fire of the enemy. I got ready. As soon as the doors opened, I opened fire. I alternated between the doors until I had no ammunition left. I couldn't use my abilities without drawing more attention and I didn't think they'd be of use here anyway. I dropped the gun and stood up. I closed my eyes, held my arms out wide and thought, _I'll see you again, Lucian, my love. Someday soon, I'll be with you._ I don't remember feeling anything as they shot me. I just remember falling to the floor after a blinding light hit me in the chest and my heart stopped beating. Then the darkness claimed me.

* * *

I gasped hard for breath and my eyes bugged open. _What the hell?_ I thought as I sat up, my body aching. I could hear Rose behind me and I turned to see her. Her voice was strange, as though she was speaking with multiple voices. I looked around and there wasn't a Dalek in sight. Only dust.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death!" the Doctor cried. He was on the ground staring up at Rose, who was bathed in golden light. There was a fire burning in her eyes and whatever tears she had spilled were emblazoned on her cheeks with golden dust.

"But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and the night. But why do they hurt?" She questioned as though she were seeing something far away.

"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault!" He looked away in grief. I was frozen to my spot as I bore witness to this… event, for lack of better term. Rose was like a goddess before us, full of power and bursting at the seams with it.

"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."

"That's what I see, all the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?" He asked as he jumped to his feet.

"My head…" she whimpered.

"Come here."

"It's killing me." She was staring at him intensely as another tear streaked down her cheek.

"I think you need a Doctor." He pulled on her extended hands and stared at her for a moment before he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was long and delicate but while their lips touched, light poured from her eyes into his. They parted and the last of the light left her. He gently placed her limp body on the ground and stared at the Tardis, still glowing with inner light and with a deep breath, he breathed out all the light he'd taken from her. I had no idea what just happened but when I finally had the ability to move, I stood up and moved to help him take her back inside the Tardis. The look he gave me was of intense dislike and I couldn't figure out what it was for. He'd promised to help me and I would make sure he kept it. I think I just died for his cause, the least he could do was send me home.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 14

The Doctor had set the engine on the Tardis to run. The term 'if looks could kill' ran through my mind as he glanced at me. He really didn't want me here and I had no idea why. I felt a bit odd but given the situation I was in, that might be par for the course. He didn't say a word to me and I didn't really know what to say to him. Rose was stirring on the floor and I was about to help her up when it started happening again. _No, no! I've only been here a few hours, maybe a day!_ I groaned in pain as the symbols on my arm appeared and the pendant began to reveal itself on my chest. The Doctor momentarily forgot about his dislike of me and stepped aside to get a better view. Reality warped around me and I reached out to grab the console, a railing, anything to keep me from being sucked into the black hole that appeared behind me. I couldn't hear what was being said but I could see him mouth the word, _'fantastic!'_ as darkness closed in around me again.

* * *

 _309 C.E._

Jana kept a careful watch over the twins as they played in the field. They were eight years old and were the personification of beauty. Elya and Alexi were the things that she fought for now. The world be damned, if her two children couldn't be saved then nothing else mattered to her. Vasska had broken all contact with the Order and together, they'd hidden the artifacts that she was meant to be carrying around while she did her duty as the Slayer. The pendant was wrapped in the hood she'd torn from the cloak. She'd hidden them within the home she had built with the man who was now her husband. The Order would be searching for them but for now, they would remain out of sight.

Jana smiled at the children as they shrieked in joy when their father appeared from the forest, carrying the wood they needed for the fire. They lived on the outskirts of the village the children were born in. She worked in the bakery still and Vasska had taken a job working for the blacksmith. They made a good living and the children were well cared for. Jana would fight the darkness when it came near to the village but otherwise kept to herself. There was always that fear of the Order, though. She continued her duties but they would want her to do more. They would demand her children be taken for training and she would never see them again. They would demand that she sacrifice. She had already sacrificed so much.

Vasska had grown strong during his work and it had shown in his physique. Where he'd been lean before, now muscle was present. Jana would do the hunting for the family and often came back with venison. They were a well-fed family. He grinned at the children as they laughed and chased each other while trailing behind him. He was carrying enough wood to get them through the cool evening to come. Their small house was going to be very warm tonight. They did not have any luxury to speak of inside. There were woven mats for each of the children and for his bride and himself. Vasska suspected that Jana was with child again, though he did not know for sure. She had not bled this past month. He would wait another month before poaching the subject. He placed the wood in a pile next to the doorway and was preparing to enter the house when he saw something that made his blood run cold. Banners in the distance. Banners he knew too well. The Order of the Watchers had found them. He shouted to Jana and she whipped her head around, her face opening up to one of shock.

Jana ran into the house and found the patch of dirt they all studiously ignored. It was easy enough for her to dig the two feet down to grab the wooden box that held the bundle she was after. Racing outside, she ran to the two horses that they owned and mounted the grey one in one go. She grabbed the reins of the black one and galloped towards Vasska, who had already picked up a child under each arm. He thrust Elya onto Jana's horse and then Alexi onto the one that he mounted. They began riding hard towards the road that lay just inside the forest. They needed to run. They needed to hide.

* * *

 _Danni_

I woke up in darkness. It was warm around me but there was a breeze, telling me I was outside. I groaned as I felt how stiff the muscles in my left wrist were. I really didn't want to be here. I really just wanted to get back to Lucian. I'd spent centuries pining after him in secret and now that I finally had him, he was stolen away from me. I stood up and noticed I was surrounded by trees. Another forest. Great. Deciding that I didn't want to wander around in the dark, I rose up into the sky and found a sprawling county before me. It wasn't massive but it wasn't small either. With a sigh, I flew forward until I felt that I would be able to navigate easily and then descended to the ground. A sign nearby declared that I was about to enter, or exit rather, a Radcliff Park. Across the street was a movie theater and it appeared that people were just starting to pour out. One street sign told me that I was at the corner of Maple Court and State Street.

I blended in with the crowd as easily as people disbursed in different directions. I was feeling more and more depressed when I heard a cry for help. Looking around, no one else seemed to hear it. Or, if they did hear it, they were very studiously ignoring it. _What is wrong with these people?_ I thought as I listened for the cry to come again. It sounded from an alleyway only a few feet from the street. It was dark and terrifying for mortals, so that explained why they didn't move to help. Clenching a fist and needing to work out some of my rage and frustration, I decided to get into something I probably shouldn't. Once I got far enough down the dark alleyway, I saw the person crying for help. She was a teenager, maybe fourteen years old with long brown hair, a tan and perfect makeup. Her clothes spoke of upper class but were dated. Definitely nineties. She was on the ground, getting filth on her back as she tried to crawl away from a man whose back was to me.

"Hey, what's the problem here?" I called. The man stopped and chuckled.

"Two for the price of one tonight, eh? I think this is my lucky night," he mused as he turned around. I held a look of disgust as I looked at him clearly in the moonlight. He was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans with a denim jacket. He had long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and yellow eyes with a really screwed up face. His menacing grin held canines. What. The. Fuck?

"I highly doubt it," I responded in disgust. Whatever this guy was, he was going to be toast in just a moment. I hadn't had a whole lot of time to process the events that I'd just experienced in the last 72 hours and I really wanted to make someone, or something, pay. He let an animalistic roar out before he started charging me. I delivered a punishing right hook and cross that sent him back a few feet. The girl on the floor behind him was transfixed on us, not moving at all. I gave her a look and pointed to the busy street behind me and she seemed to get the hint pretty quickly. She was up and running past us before he could stop her. The creature was pretty pissed off about that. He ran towards me with the intent of causing great bodily harm and I grabbed a piece of metal from the ground that looked pretty sharp and used it as a blade. I sliced at him and he laughed.

"You don't know anything, do you? Metal can't hurt me!" he knocked the piece of scrap from my hand and I delivered a massive kick to his chest. He fell down to his back and a sick, wet thud sounded. He looked to his chest, as did I, and realized he'd fallen onto a broken pile of pallet wood. He had begun to curse out loud when he combusted into dust. My jaw fell open. That was _it?_ A bit of wood to the chest and this thing would become dust? No. Nope. Not possible. _I must have hit my head pretty badly this time,_ I thought as I backed away from the dusty wood in front of me. I went back to the crowded streets and looked around for the girl I'd just saved. She was long gone. Good. She shouldn't be out at night without her parents anyway.

I noticed a newspaper dispenser and looked for some indication of where I was. Of _when_ I was. I found a little bit of change on the ground and used it to purchase the paper. I was relieved to see that I was in the USA again. I glanced at the date and groaned. _Welcome to Sunnydale, California in September 1996,_ I thought to myself sarcastically. A place I never heard of before and, apparently, infested with something that looked pretty nasty and dies if you stick a twig in its chest. I was tempted to think it was a vampire but, come on. Really? A _twig?_ I'd seen vampires that had survived a hell of a lot worse than that. _I'd_ survived worse than that. I noticed a man wearing a dark button-down shirt and dress pants staring at me and I didn't like his gaze. He looked like a pretty boy. I didn't like pretty boys.

I decided to find some place to hole up for the night and picked a direction in which to walk. I could defend myself easily, so I didn't feel the need to stick with people. After a while, I came across a motel and just as it was turning to midnight, according to the clock in the main office. I would have to work something out with this guy because all of my money was gone. I had nothing. _Except this watch I got in the last universe. What did they say it was made from? Silver and gold and something else… I could get a room here for a night and pawn it in the morning. That'll get me started for now. Might even get enough for false documents._ It was the first break I'd had all night.

* * *

In the morning, I started out with the pawn shop. I managed to get a few thousand for the watch, which was strange considering that it shouldn't have been worth that much. I managed to get some information on where I could get forged documents. It didn't take me long to get things sorted out for the picture for a driver's license, social security number and passport. The guy even fabricated a work history with some references and phone numbers. It took half of what I had gotten for the watch, which was quite a bargain. It struck me as odd that they would be so cheap with the forged documents in a small town. Especially since these were coming from a guy who actually worked for the US government. I used one of the aliases I was fond of and this guy was able to get everything together.

With all these new documents, I went back to the motel and paid for the previous night and for the next two weeks in advance. I would need a place to go tonight. I went to a local store and, after a lot of frowning and disgusted looks at the selection, bought clothes appropriate for a job interview. I wanted to find some kind of income. I needed a job that would be inconspicuous. And where I could do research. I was tired of being pulled into other worlds. I wanted to go back to the one where I'd made a life for myself. I wanted to go back to Lucian. I could picture him clearly in my mind. It made the ache in my heart throb. I put in applications all over town. It was tough putting down the phone number of the motel I was staying at instead of the mobile phone number I'd had memorized for the last fifteen years. I couldn't wait to get a mobile phone here.

I went to the local hospital and managed to break into their blood bank with little trouble. They seemed to have very little security. I stole a cooler and about twenty bags of blood. I didn't want to get greedy; twenty bags would hopefully last me a short while. I had no idea what kind of metabolism I'd developed but I hoped that one or two per day would be enough. My next stop after I dropped the cooler off was to the grocery store. I'd been able to keep the burger and fries that Rose had given me in the last universe, so I had the feeling that I would be able to eat normal food without any difficulty. That would be helpful with keeping up human appearances.

When I got back to the motel, I turned on the TV and adjusted the bunny ears on top to get a signal. Nothing was really on but I just needed the noise. I did some cooking with the fresh groceries I'd gotten. It was a beef stew with tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and corn. I was using new pots and pans, dishes and silverware because I didn't trust the stuff that I'd found in the cupboards. I dished everything into a bowl and put in a handful of crushed crackers. Dinner was quiet, aside from the noise from the TV. There wasn't a whole lot of shows on that I could get into. I sighed as I finished my bowl and placed the rest of the stew into the fridge. A few hours later, I drank half a blood bag. I wasn't really hungry for it just yet. I found myself pleased by this; I might be able to go without blood entirely. That would be a major plus. I decided to head to bed. I was very tired.

* * *

The next morning, I woke to the sound of a phone ringing next to the bed. I grabbed the headset groggily. "Hello?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Daenerys Wolfe? Is this her residence?" a male voice on the other end asked. I propped myself up in bed and nodded before realizing they couldn't see me.

"Yes, that's me."

"My name is Robert Flutie, I'm the principal of Sunnydale High School. How are you today?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you. What can I do for you?"

"You came by yesterday to apply for a position as an assistant librarian and as a secretary?"

"Yes, either position would be of interest to me," I replied as I sat up.

"Well, it seems we have an opening in the library. The assistant librarian that we have now has been fired for being absent from work for the last week and a half and not contacting the school to be excused. I'd like to have you come in to interview with the current librarian and myself to see if you would be a good fit."

"That would be fantastic. I'm available today and tomorrow. Which works best for you?"

"I can see you this afternoon at 2:30. Is that okay?"

"That works for me. I'll see you then. Thank you, Mr. Flutie."

I hung up and wondered at my luck for a moment. How in the hell does that happen? They wait over a week to fire someone for not coming in to work? I shrugged and got up. I made some breakfast, a simple meal of eggs, ham and toast. I watched the news. There was something about bikers on PCP killing a small group of teenagers the night before. Their blood had been drained and they'd been left in a park. _I had no idea gangs on PCP had a fetish for blood,_ I mused, not at all fooled. That was the dumbest idea someone had ever thought of for a cover story.

I shaved my legs in the shower and used a body scrub to make my skin really shine. I washed and conditioned my hair. Once I was out of the shower and my hair had been wrapped in a towel, I put on the fresh clothes I'd just gotten from the store. I looked myself over and then pulled my hair out of the towel. I didn't feel like doing anything crazy with it, so I braided it back and then I coiled it into a bun at the back of my head. It worked out perfectly. I put on a pair of flats and examined how I looked. I looked every bit the librarian's assistant. All that was missing were a pair of glasses. I was wearing a button down shirt, a pencil skirt and a blazer. I hated how hideous the pads on the shoulders were, so I cut them out. I was wearing a gold chain necklace with a small crescent moon and a pair of gold hoop earrings.

I looked over the resume that had been provided and memorized the information there. Then I stood up and walked over to the grocery bag filled with makeup. I applied it carefully, trying to make myself look older than the 23 years that I'd been frozen at for 578 years. I gazed at myself and when I was satisfied that I looked closer to 30 than 20 years old, I nodded to myself. I picked up my purse and sorted out all of the documents I would need for this job interview. I put everything away and then decided to go out for lunch. I was going to test my limits today and see if I could go without blood the whole day and only drink it at night. I didn't desire the taste of blood so far, so that was good.

After I got ready for the interview, my day seemed to pass in a blur. The interview with Mr. Flutie went well. He was a very pleasant man, a little nervous, but pleasant. He offered me the job on the spot and I was more than happy to accept. He showed me around the school, which was in session with a few students wandering the halls. I walked into the library and met Mr. Jeffrey Jefferson. I raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. I was told that after I filled out the appropriate paperwork, I would be able to start the next Monday. That was fine with me.

By nightfall, I'd gone out to eat dinner and I was on my way back to the motel when I saw that man again. He was wearing a leather jacket this time with a white shirt and dark-wash jeans. He was staring at me and I was starting to get fed up with it. I decided to approach him straight out. He continued to stare at me evenly as I approached, not even flinching when I got too close.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"I could ask you the same question," he responded cryptically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I retorted, waving my hands in the air in exasperation. "You were eyeballing me last night and it was pretty creepy. What are you, my own personal Phantom Menace?"

Now he looked confused. I had to pull back on my pop culture references. This is 1996. George Lucas isn't coming out with Episode One for another couple years.

"Look, I don't know what you're hoping to get from me, okay? I just got into town last night and I really don't have time to deal with creeps who want… whatever it is you want. What's your name?"

"Gregory."

"Gregory. Great. Good for you. Now get lost."

"Don't you want to know why I've been following you?" he asked.

"Not really," I responded as I turned back towards the motel that had been just across the street. He grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"That was my friend you killed last night," he growled and his face contorted to that freakish appearance the creature from last night had. Not to be outdone, I turned to my Hybrid form and growled back. He tried to grab at my throat and I dodged, broke the arm attached to the hand on me, and then slashed my hand through his throat deep enough to decapitate him. He crumbled to dust with a look of surprise on his face. Stupid bastard. I looked around quickly to see if anyone had seen what I'd done and was relieved that I was still alone. I reverted back to a human appearance and hurried to the motel room. I washed the blood that covered my hands away and took off my clothes. I made a mental note to avoid going out at night unless I had to, or else to go out with some kind of bladed weapons. I wouldn't want to have to deal with anymore of the creepy crawlies that Sunnydale had to offer.

* * *

I shelved a few more books according to the Dewy Decimal system with a sigh. I'd been in this universe for nearly a month now and my research had revealed nothing so far. It wasn't like back with Lucian, where I had access to as many sources as money could purchase. I had nothing here. I found myself wishing I'd been sent here during the dark ages. I could have amassed an amazing wealth off of the thieves that would have tried to stalk me in the forest at night. As it was, I had made it a little bit of a habit to turn myself into bait a couple nights a week so that I could kill these creatures that, after a little research revealed, were actually vampires. In this universe, vampires weren't the result of a virus that manipulated you on the genetic level. They were a demon possessing a human corpse. I felt nothing but satisfaction when I would slaughter them. I had made it a little bit of a habit to paralyze my new prey so that I could rob them of the valuables they'd stolen from their own victims. It was a little more lucrative than I cared to admit. I got a cool $2,000 one night from a couple of bloods that decided to live it up a little bit.

My stomach rumbled with hunger and I went over to the office I'd been assigned when I started. It was much smaller than Mr. Jefferson's office but it was still cozy. I pulled out a bag with a container of chili I'd made and popped it into the microwave. The smell of the tomato, spices, meat and peppers filled the offices and my mouth watered. I'd been testing myself for any allergies since realizing that I could eat regular food as a viable option. I could eat anything I wanted. The only thing that I had discovered was that if I didn't drink blood on a regular basis, my healing abilities were greatly diminished. I would heal closer to the rate of a human. I had decided to keep blood on hand at home in case of injury but I hadn't needed it too much since purchasing the blades I had hidden under my long jacket.

I pulled the bowl of chili out of the microwave when it finished and sprinkled a little bit of cheese on top from the mini fridge I'd bought for my office space. I pulled out a spoon and stirred it up to release some of the steam and to make sure the cheese was in every bite before I crushed some crackers and mixed that in too. I ate slowly and carefully. I was reading through an old manuscript as I finished the last of my meal when nausea swept over me. It grew more and more intense until I couldn't ignore it any longer and reached wildly for the trash bin under my desk. I heaved out the contents of my stomach completely just as Mr. Jefferson walked though my door. The look on his face was of disgust. His whitish, thinning hair was in slight disarray.

"Why didn't you say you were sick, girl?" he asked with a sneer of disgust. I grabbed a napkin from my desk and wiped my mouth and nose.

"I wasn't sick until just now," I responded as I tied up the bag in the bin so that it wouldn't stink up the place.

"Then go. I won't be catching whatever it is you have. Take the rest of the week."

"I can't do that! That isn't fair to you," I protested.

"You're salaried. You'll still be paid. Go on. Get out of here. I can finish up your work for today."

I picked up my purse and put my empty lunch container in my lunch bag. I waved at him as I left and he remained behind the counter, as far as he could be from me. I didn't blame him. I found it odd that I was sick at all. Lycans never got sick and I would imagine that the same would be for Hybrids. I walked home slowly and enjoyed the sunlight on my skin. I was wearing a dress that went to my knees and a cardigan that I'd rolled up to my elbows. I was halfway to the apartment I'd rented only two weeks before when my stomach twisted again. I stumbled towards the nearest trash can and emptied my stomach again. A thin sheen of sweat covered my forehead. Perhaps I was wrong.

I spent the next several days monitoring my temperature, which never became abnormal. I would throw up once or twice a day, usually early on and then I'd be fine later. I started drinking blood in the evenings to keep up my strength. By the fifth day, I had an inkling of what it might be that was causing me to be sick but I didn't want to make assumptions. I went to a pharmacy once I was feeling a bit better. I made my purchase and tore into the packaging when I got home. The instructions were easily followed and soon I was waiting next to the clock for the timer to go off. I stared at the little sticks, as I'd used both in the package, with trepidation. I couldn't deny that two tests, two results were exactly the same. _I'm pregnant._


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 15

In the waiting room of the local OB/GYN, I was trying to find rationalizations for the results I'd seen on those pregnancy tests. Any number of reasons could have contributed. When they called my name I went into the room and dressed in the paper gown they left for me. Once I was situated, I waited for the doctor, a woman named Eisley. When she came in, I noted she was a stout woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She was perhaps five feet tall and had a very pinched face. Dr. Eisley was a no-nonsense type of woman and didn't bother with the small talk. She got whatever information she hadn't gotten already from the forms I'd filled out and then had me lay back on the table after pulling out some stirrups.

The examination was uncomfortable but in the end, after some testing, she confirmed what the pregnancy tests had told me. I was pregnant. I was stunned and she left me with a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and an appointment for the next month. I didn't know what to think. What's more, I felt some fear enter my heart as I thought something terrible: what if it isn't Lucian's? What if it were Marcus's? I didn't know if I could bear that thought. I didn't know what to do. I went to the pharmacy and gathered the vitamins in my prescription and took them as directed. I decided that since I couldn't always keep food down, I would need to try blood. When I got back to the apartment, I pulled out a bag and immediately drained it. I had been feeling hungry over the last few days and since I couldn't eat food without it upsetting my stomach, I pulled out another bag and drained that too. If I kept up the consumption of blood, or increased it, I would have to find a better supply method. Like a blood dealer. Wow, that sounds bad.

I shook my head and went to the bathroom. I stared at my reflection for a moment, my eyes drawn to my belly. I turned to the side and stared at the smooth, flat surface. How long before a bump forms here? How long before I know if the child is a male or a female? My heart skipped a beat at the thought. A child. _My_ child. I placed a hand on my belly and closed my eyes. What is going to happen to me now?

* * *

I stared at the monitor with a thickness in my throat. Laying on the table, the ultrasound machine bouncing waves of sound into my abdomen, I could see the life within. I was now twenty weeks pregnant and with my belly growing much faster than the books had said, I'd been afraid something was wrong. Now I was beginning to see that something was very _right._

"Congratulations, Miss Wolfe. It appears you're having triplets! Would you like to know what gender they are?" the technician asked warmly. I nodded faintly. "It looks like we have two of them sharing one amniotic sac, so they're probably identical… girls. And this one here… Let me move this around a little… I see a little boy! Two girls and a boy!"

I couldn't tear myself from the screen and the three pulsing images on it. All too soon, the monitor was switched off. I was given a cloth to wipe the gel from my belly, which I did so gingerly. My clothes were fitting so much more snugly than was becoming comfortable. I reminded myself again that I needed to go maternity clothes shopping. The technician had printed out pictures for me of the ultrasounds and I was eager to look them over again. I went to the front desk to pay my bill and gather the pictures when I heard a commotion behind me. There was a man forcing his way into one of the rooms and wasn't listening to the nurses who'd demanded that he stay back. He was getting very unruly and I was starting to get very irritated. Without even thinking about it, I used my ability to force him down on one knee. Security guards converged and put him into handcuffs.

I looked down at the date on the pictures as the unruly man was led away. January 21st, 1997. Twenty more weeks until they were technically due. The doctors were saying that they would be delivered probably at the 32 week mark. I was going to shoot for their actual due date, June 5th. Walking from the hospital to the school, I couldn't help but think of how gorgeous the day was. It was a bit chilly but it wasn't terrible. I pulled my jacket in a little closer and made my way into the school. I was starting a little bit later today due to the doctor's appointment. When I walked in though, I was very surprised to see that Mr. Jefferson wasn't there. Instead, there was another man I didn't recognize. He was unloading lots of books from a cart into… _my office? Oh, he's gonna get it. BIG time._

I marched over to him and tapped his shoulder. He turned to see a frowning pregnant woman and adjusted his glasses. He was a man who was in his early forties and wore a tweed jacket, vest, white shirt and tie. He had blue eyes and dark hair. He was sort of handsome for a man of his age.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Oh, I, uh, am unloading my books?" He responded with a slight question in his tone. I wasn't surprised by the British accent but that made him a little more attractive in my book. I'd always had a thing for accents, even before I was put on the course I was currently on.

"In _my_ office? Where is Mr. Jefferson, I need to speak with him. He's done this kind of thing before and I really don't appreciate it."

" _Your_ office?" He looked terribly confused. "Mr. Jefferson? Oh, yes. I suppose you don't know yet. That poor chap, it seems he passed away over the weekend from a heart attack. Didn't, ah, Mr. Flutie tell you?"

"What? No, he didn't. I thought he'd just called in sick yesterday. I mean, it's only Tuesday, and he said he'd been under the weather. I hadn't even thought… Wow. Okay. So, what are you doing here then? Who are you?" I had a moment to process that my boss was now dead. People seem to die a lot around here. I wasn't particularly attached to the man. He wasn't exactly nice. He enjoyed fining the kids a little too much. I tended to think that was how he made some cash on the side.

"I'm Rupert Giles, the new librarian. And, uh, you are?"

"Daenerys Wolfe. I'm the assistant librarian. And you've been stacking books in my office." I held my hand out for him to shake as I spoke and he nodded as he shook my hand. He was stared at me for another moment. "So… Could you please find another place for your personal collection? I had some paperwork I had to do today, among other things."

He gave a nervous laugh and I smiled sweetly as he put the books back onto the cart. I was squeezing past him when I dropped the ultrasounds. He was faster than I was with bending to pick them up. He stared at the pictures for a moment before handing them over to me.

"How-how far along are you, Ms. Wolfe? If you don't mind my asking?" he stammered. I thought it was a little bit cute.

"It's Daenerys or Danni, if you like. I'm 20 weeks along. Triplets, if you can believe it!" I was very excited about that.

"That's quite wonderful news," he responded. "I'm sure your husband is very excited as well."

"No husband, no boyfriend. Not anymore," I corrected him softly. "He's… gone."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Rupert replied, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a cloth from his pocket. I got the feeling that he wasn't going to be asking any more questions about that for a while, and I was grateful for it. I didn't want to be reminded of Lucian again. Not now. I had done all the research I could do, as far as I knew, on getting back to him and now that I was pregnant, I wasn't going to risk anything happening to my babies.

"It's not your fault, so don't apologize. I miss him but I'll never see him again. Not in this world," I added wistfully. I'm sure he probably thought I meant heaven or some afterlife. I was thinking two reality shifts over. Rupert looked distinctly awkward now that we'd talked about something so personal. I settled into my chair and put the ultrasound pictures on my desk. "So, Rupert. Can I call you Rupert?"

He smiled and nodded as he put the last few books onto the cart. "Yes, yes. That's quite all right. Might I call you Danni?"

"Yes, you can. Anyway, I was wondering. Where are you from, exactly? Did you live here in the states for a few years or did you come straight from across the pond?"

"Well, I was working at the British Museum and decided I wanted to educate young minds here, in the Americas. I thought the best place to start would be a, uh, high school library," Rupert replied as he began stacking the books into the adjacent office. I nodded with an eyebrow raised.

"Did you just get bored?" I whispered as I leaned in. "Because if you did, I could understand that. I would too. Some of the stuff you see in museums now, they were a dime a dozen when they were made."

"Ah, yes. I mean, no. I didn't get bored. But you are quite right. A lot of the artifacts we see in museums today were easy to find when they were made. Not quite so much now."

"You know, I had a thought a while back when I was taking an archeology class. I always wondered what would happen in five hundred years when they go back and dig into this century. What will they find? I'll bet they'll find some guy's house where he stashed all of his Star Wars memorabilia. He'll have sixteen Boba Fett's and twelve Darth Vader's in original packaging that's all faded to white. If they don't have records of this time from some weird third world war, they'll think that it was some kind of treasure trove of information about how we wanted to wear our clothes or something."

Rupert stared at me for a moment, trying to decide if I was being serious or just kidding. I kept a straight face for about ten seconds before I started giggling at my own ridiculous joke. He let out a chuckle of his own and seemed to relax a bit. We conversed for a while and he was delighted to learn that I'd been to England and understood him without having to ask questions about things, like how he wished he'd brought more jammie dodgers with him. I was pleased to inform him that there was a similar snack here but you had to look for it really hard at the local market. I also gave him tips on where to go for certain other stocks that he might miss, like Weetabix. It was a very pleasant conversation and I found myself liking Rupert Giles quite a bit. I might even want to call him a friend, if he survived here long enough. People don't seem to make it more than a few weeks if they move here from outside the community.

I sometimes left work a little later than Mr. Jefferson but that night, Rupert would not hear of it. It got dark very quickly and he wanted to offer me a ride home. I thanked him, insisting I was fine walking but he was insistent. I agreed and was more than a little surprised that we had rented apartments only a few doors down from each other. I got out of the car and headed for my apartment and he waved as he headed into his. I looked around my place. It was really bare for now. I had a couch and small TV set I'd gotten from the Salvation Army and a coffee table I'd snagged at a yard sale. Otherwise, I didn't have very much. I still needed to buy cribs. The thought floored me. I needed cribs. Plural.

I went to the fridge and pulled out a bag of blood and polished it off quickly. I was still hungry, though. I'd been getting cravings for strange things in the last week. First, it wasn't anything crazy. Just pickles. Now I was craving something a little bit more unorthodox. I decided that it was better to satisfy the insanity of it than turn into a raging monster when I didn't get it. I left the apartment, looking around for any of those creepy looking vampires. I headed to the butcher shop just over on Main Street and waited patiently for my turn in line. There was a tall, dark haired man there that I could just smell was a vampire. He was paying the butcher for a gallon of blood of some kind, though he thought he was being sly about it. I shook my head. As long as he didn't come to me for a meal, I was good with it. When it was my turn, I asked for a calf brain, two pounds of ground beef and a flank of ham. I was going to do everything I could to satisfy my hunger and right now, they were in the mood for sautéed brains and ice cream. And pickles. I hated pickles but they couldn't get enough. Yuck.

With my bag stowed away into a cloth grocery bag, I started back towards my apartment. I could see that at least one vampire was trailing behind me, probably thinking it was being sly. I turned and looked it in the face, changed my eyes to the blue-on-black of my tri-blood Hybrid form and it backed off. I didn't want to have to fight in my current condition. Once I got back to my apartment, I unloaded my meats into the fridge and began to sauté the calf brains with chopped vegetables and sauce. I hadn't been cooking long when I heard a knock at the door. I put the heat down to low and peeked out the door. It was Rupert. Surprised, I opened the door for him and let him inside. I hoped he wouldn't snoop around in my fridge. I'd just stocked up on blood the day before and I didn't want him to get the wrong impression.

"Rupert, was there something I could do for you?" I asked as I walked back over to the stove and pushed the meat and vegetables around. I looked over my shoulder at him and he seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Well, actually Danni… I believe you left this in my car?" He handed out a folder that contained copies of the ultrasounds. I laughed and took them from his outreached hand.

"Thank you! I had no idea I'd left those there. I guess it helps that we're neighbors, right?"

"Yes, quite," he responded with a smile. I noticed him looking around and motioned for him to sit at the table.

"Do you want anything to eat, anything to drink? I'm afraid I don't have much but I'm happy to share. I apologize for how bare the place is. I moved to Sunnydale for a fresh start and everything I owned got burned up in a fire, so I'm left with Salvation Army and yard sale stuff."

I was a bit nervous because the food was almost done. I didn't know how this man might react to such a grotesque craving. He just smiled as he took a seat.

"A water would be lovely. Or tea, if you have any. I'm sorry to hear that. You lost everything, you say?" he questioned as I handed him a glass of water.

"Yes. Everything," I replied as I began putting the meal on a dish. I motioned to grab another one and he politely declined. "I was so surprised to get a job so quickly when I got here. And then this surprise just made it even better," I touched my belly as I looked down. A smile drifted onto my face as I sat the plate down in my spot and went to the freezer to grab a pint of ice cream. Ben and Jerry's chocolate. I sat down with a fork, a spoon and saw the look of disgust on his face. I gave an apologetic look in return.

"Sorry, Rupert. Cravings can't always be helped and this one is as odd as it gets." I scooped a little bit of the ice cream onto the plate and dipped the bit of brain and pepper I'd stabbed with a fork into the oozing mess. It was screaming delicious on my tongue but I knew that under normal circumstances, I'd be spitting out every last morsel. He gave a grimace as he watched me eat another bite.

"I'm sorry that I put you out, Ms. Wolfe. I think I'll be going now, if that's quite all right," he rose, looking a little bit green. I put down my fork and wiped my mouth with a napkin. Standing up, I nearly fell over with my center of gravity having so drastically changed. Rupert was there to catch me, thankfully. It would have looked really bad if I'd caught myself in mid-air. I looked up and gave a sheepish smile. I was really turning on the charm with this guy; I must really, truly like him.

"Thanks for catching me," I joked as I stood back up straight. I walked him to the door and gave a cheerful wave as he went back to his apartment. I finished my meal and then finished off the ice cream. I was feeling a little bit hungry still, so I took out another blood bag and drank it slowly. By the time I was ready for bed, I was pleasantly exhausted and ready for a good night's rest. That night, I dreamed so vividly that I thought it was real.

* * *

I was in the Keep and though it was deserted, I felt so comforted. It was midday and the scent of the honeysuckle that grew in the fields just outside was carried on the breeze. Looking down, I was wearing a flowing white gown that was plastered to my body from the strong breeze that raced through the stones. I heard a gasp behind me and turned. It was Lucian, as I remembered him from the first time we'd met. His skin was bronzed by the sun and his eyes, though tired, were raking over me wildly. He was at my side faster than I could have dreamed. His lips were furious upon mine and his hands tangled in my hair. When he pulled back to let us both up for air, his forehead was against mine and his eyes were glued to my swollen belly. A trembling hand reached down to touch it and mine covered his to press it down against my flesh.

"Is this a dream?" he whispered as his eyes came back to mine. I crushed my lips to his again for a brief moment.

"If it is, I wish it would come true," I whispered back. "I wish I were there."

"No, you don't," he was so vehement in his response that I was slightly taken aback.

"What do you mean, Lucian? Why wouldn't I want to be back?"

"With Alexander Corvinus dead and his men wiped out, there was no one cleaning up after the skirmishes between the vampires and Lycans. Humans found out about us, Dae. They are wiping out anything that isn't human. They have captured Selene and Michael. I think they might be dead. I've been in hiding in one of your old places in America."

His hands were roaming my face, my body while he spoke. He put his hand on my belly again and looked at me in wonder.

"Is this a dream, Dae?" he asked again. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I don't know. I've never had anything like this happen before but if it is real, I want you to know… it's triplets. Two girls and a boy. I just found out today. I'm safe here, wherever this is. I'm safe and I wish you were here. I'm the only one of my kind here. The vampires here aren't anything like what we know."

"What are they like?" he asked as he led me to a place where we could sit in what was once his forge.

"They're some kind of possessed corpse. They turn to dust when you pierce their heart with wood. Even if it's just a _twig._ " He raised an eyebrow. I know he'd get a kick out of that.

"A _twig?_ That's all it takes to kill one of these creatures?" I nodded.

"They're just possessed by some kind of demon. They're easy to spot once you've dealt with them once or twice, just by smell. But you know them on sight when they are getting ready to attack. Their faces turn hideous. I have a feeling there is so much more here but I haven't seen it yet," I explained. I heaved a huge sigh. "If I can't be there, then I wish I could find some way to bring you here. I want you to see your children, to be there when they are born."

"I don't know how or when but, I promise you that I will find you, Dae. I will be with you, no matter how long it may take," Lucian whispered as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

* * *

I awoke from the dream feeling more loved and more heartbroken than I had in months. I curled up on my side and sobbed for a few minutes before my alarm went off. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and got out of bed. I got dressed after a hot shower and drained a blood bag, then brushed my teeth. I packed a sandwich, potato chips, a soda, carrot sticks and a thermos of blood, just in case. I had a plan of telling Rupert that it was a special vitamin brew recommended by my gynecologist, if he asked about it. I headed outside and was somewhat surprised that he was waiting for me. I smiled and he waved to his car. It was a tiny, old car but at least it worked, I supposed. I thanked him and got in. It was nice to not have to walk to work in the busy morning traffic. I was too cheap to take the bus and too careful to fly myself there, so I didn't have too many options. This was a nice alternative.

When we got over to the school, I got out of the car and we walked through to the library together. I stepped into my office and set my things down. I headed over to the returned books and was getting ready to sort them out when a familiar face came through the double doors.

"Willow! Are we back to get another book on math theories or are you here with another book for me on what to expect when you're expecting. Because I think I've learned how to expect everything that I can expect to expect. I expect." I laughed at my own joke as did she.

"Oh, no Ms. Wolfe. I'm here for a book on computer coding and the principles around it. I have a tutoring session with another student that's failing that class, so I'm picking up another book to help teach the basics. Except, you know, they should know the basics, right? I mean, they know the basics. I-I'm sure they do. I'm going to be quiet now," she said nervously. I smiled. She was a sweet, sweet girl. I felt sorry for her when she got herself into a tizzy like this. I put a hand on her shoulder and took a deep breath, which she took with me. Then we both let it out. She seemed to calm down after that.

"Okay. So, Principles of Coding and Advanced Coding, then?" I asked. She nodded, her mane of red hair waving with the motion. "I'll take you right to it. You let me know if there's anything else you need, okay?" Willow nodded again and I guided her to the books she was looking for. I then went to the returns and began sorting them on the shelves. It was a large number returned today. I found the witchcraft book that one boy, Xander, liked to check out so much. It had engravings of naked women inside of it, so I wasn't at all surprised that he liked to see it. I'd caught him checking me out more than once and the look of utter horror on his face when I last saw him was probably enough that he wasn't going to be caught again.

Once Willow was safely on her way, I began shelving the books on my cart. There was one that was particularly high up and I didn't want to use a step ladder to get to it, so I looked around for anyone who might see and then floated myself up to put it away. I had just touched down to the ground again when I heard Rupert calling for me. I peeked around a bookshelf and waved. He walked over and asked me about new students and when they should usually come in for their books. I shrugged.

"We don't get new students here very often, I'm afraid. Not since I started a few months ago, anyway. More often, the students… drop out, I guess."

"Drop out?"

"Yeah, once every few months a couple of students will just stop coming to class. We figure they dropped out," I nodded while I spouted the nonsense Mr. Flutie had prattled off to me. I didn't believe it. Not one word of it. It was more likely that they were killed by vampires. I couldn't very well tell that to Mr. Giles, the new librarian. He'd probably think I was nuts.

"Oh, well that's… odd."

"Sunnydale has all sorts of oddities but you learn to love them," I responded as I shelved another book. He nodded absentmindedly and I just smiled.

* * *

A little over a week passed and Rupert got settled into his position. He had a bunch of old volumes that he stored in his office and some that he actually spread about the library. There was a massively heavy volume that had the word "Vampyr" emblazoned on the cover and I reevaluated my earlier assumption that he would think I was nuts if I told him about Sunnydale's population issues. There was a little bit of a buzz at the school, too. There was a girl transferring in from L.A. I'd been in Mr. Flutie's office when the file came in and glanced at it when he wasn't looking. She burned down the gym at her last school and had an issue with fighting. My kind of girl. She was due to start today, on a Monday. She'd make it to the library at some point or another and I'd already read her schedule, so I had her books ready. I'd put them in a neat stack under the main counter for easy access.

I was in my office when I heard the library doors open and I didn't bother going over to greet the person who walked in because I knew Rupert was out there. He'd take care of it. I was having a midday snack from my thermos. I licked my lips and put the lid back on the container when I heard a girl calling out. I was about to go and see what she needed, figuring Rupert had stepped out for something, when I heard him in there too.

"Oh. Anybody's here."

"Can I help you?"

"I was looking for some… Well, books. I'm new."

"Miss Summers?" I raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Rupert was as big of a snoop as I was.

"Good call," the little blonde responded. "Guess I'm the only new kid, huh?"

"I'm Mr. Giles. The librarian. I was told you were coming." I peeked around the corner and watched him hurry around the counter.

"Great. So, um, I'm gonna need _Prospectives on 20_ _th_ _Century…"_ she started but he held up a hand.

"I know what you're after." I was pleased that my forward thinking was about to pay off… until he grabbed the Vampyr book. I nearly did a double take as he placed it on the counter with a big smile. She looked shaken by the book offered to her.

"That's not what I'm looking for," the girl said as she backed up slightly.

"Are you sure?" Rupert asked with his head cocked to the side a little.

"I'm way sure," she was backing up even further, staring at the book like it was going to bite her.

"My mistake," he replied, sounding slightly deflated. He placed the book back under the counter and she was gone before he even stood up again. I stepped out and gave him a dubious look.

"What the hell was that about?" I demanded. "I had that new girl's books ready to go and you pull out a book on vampires? Seriously, Rupert!"

"It was a simple mistake, that's all," he responded as he cleaned his glasses. He started walking towards his office and I placed a hand on his chest.

"A simple mistake where you decided a teenage girl you'd never met was interested in vampires? I'm not stupid, though I do a very good job of playing it that way," I challenged him. He shook his head. He wasn't going to give in. I shrugged. "Okay. But I'll find out what it is you're hiding from me. Secrets don't stay secret for long when I start digging into them."

We were alone in the library for a little while and I was enjoying the solitude. Rupert stepped out for a few minutes and Xander came in, looking for math books to help him study with Willow later. I took him to the correct shelf and let him decide which one he needed while I went to my office and pulled out a sandwich. I could see that Rupert had returned and was putting away a recently returned book when the new girl, Buffy I think her name is, stride in.

"Okay, what's the sitch?" she demanded.

"Sorry?" Rupert asked, poking his head from around a corner.

"You heard about the dead guy, right? The dead guy in the locker?" she asked. This was news to me.

"Yes."

"Cause, it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little, little holes in his neck and all his blood's been drained. Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, 'ooh?'" she asked with a look of a petulant child.

"I was afraid of this," Rupert responded. That got my attention. He _was_ in the know about these local vampires. It's probably why he's been giving me rides home every night and rides in every morning. He doesn't want the frail pregnant woman he works with to get killed. It almost made me smile at how sweet he was being.

"Well, I wasn't. It's my first day. I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I'd have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care," she added the last part with a firm nod to herself. This is getting more and more interesting by the moment. I almost wished I had popcorn so I could snack as I watched this drama unfold. What was going to happen next? Was Pablo, her former lover from hell going to inform her that he was magically pregnant with her demon child? I shook my head slightly. Being over 500 years old, sometimes you develop a little ADD.

"Then why are you here?" Rupert responded with a furrowed brow.

"To tell you that… I don't care. Which I don't, and have now told you… so… bye," she turned and started walking away.

"Will he rise again?" he asked, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Who?" She turned back.

"The boy?"

"No," she rolled her eyes. "He's just dead."

"Can you be sure?" Rupert questioned with a raised brow.

"To make you a vampire, they have to suck your blood. Then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly, they're just going to kill you," Buffy responded and then shook her head. "Why am I still talking to you?"

"You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence your being here? That boy was just the beginning." He waved his arm vaguely in the direction of the gym. She was halfway to the library doors by now.

"Why can't you people just leave me alone?" She cried as she turned around.

"Because you are the Slayer. Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a chosen one, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires," they both finished the last part together.

"To stop the spread of their evil, blah blah blah. I've heard it, okay?" she spat out.

"I really don't understand this attitude. You've accepted your duty, you've slain vampires before."

"Yeah, and I've both been there and done that and I'm moving on."

"What do you know about this town?" he questioned and started heading towards the hallway I was standing in. I ducked into my office before he could see me eavesdropping on their conversation. Well, technically it isn't eavesdropping if they're having it in a public forum, but still. I didn't want to be caught. He started digging through his volumes.

"It's… two hours and a freeway from Neiman-Marcus?"

"Dig a bit in the history of this place, and you'll find that, um, a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. I believe this whole area is the center of a mystical energy. Things gravitate towards it that you might not find elsewhere!" his voice and demeanor was excited as he pulled the books he was looking for out and to the central table that was used for studying by those few students that actually came here to do that.

"Like vampires?" the girl questioned. I was back in my position to eavesdrop and was getting a bit excited. If these people knew about mystical stuff, then I might have a better chance of going back to Lucian or, even better, bringing him here. Maybe we could even find a way to make it so that I don't move through universes anymore? That would be perfect. I would be in my own personal heaven if I could make that happen.

"Yes. Werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything that you ever feared was under your bed, they're all real," he recounted as he gave her one book after another and then stared at her intensely.

"What, you, like, sent away for the _Time-Life_ series?" she quipped.

"Uh, w-well… Yes." He started backing up a little.

"Did you get the free phone?" she asked.

"The calendar," he replied. I dropped my face into my palm. She was playing with him and he couldn't see it, the poor bastard.

"Cool. Okay, but first of all, I'm a vampire slayer. And secondly, I'm retired. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill them?" she handed the books back to him roughly.

"I'm a Watcher, I haven't the skill," he responded with a slightly confused smile. Oh, British men were cute when they were confused, no matter the age.

"Oh, come on! A little stake through the heart, a little sunlight. It's like falling off a log."

"A Slayer slays, a Watcher…"

"Watches?"

"Yes, uh, no. He… he trains her, he-he-he prepares her…"

"Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For spending all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead. Prepare me," she interrupted with a glare. With every word, Rupert stood up straighter and his face showed a little surprise at her reaction. She started to leave and he muttered 'damn' under his breath as he whisked after her. I was just coming out of that hallway, ready to go after them both to see if I could get some answers when Xander, whom I'd forgotten was even there stepped out from behind a shelf with a look of incredulity on his face.

" _What?"_ he asked to no one. He was very confused, by the looks of things. Well, that threw the idea of having a secret identity out for this poor girl.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 16

I didn't say a word to Xander as I scanned the book he was checking out and then left. I didn't give any hint that I'd heard anything. Instead, I played dumb like a champ. I went back to my office and looked at the computer, which to me as ancient, but was considered top of the line now. I pulled up one of the search engines and typed in Slayer. The first results were some of the first fan-made websites, I'm sure. I shook my head. I'd forgotten about the band by that name. I narrowed my search and typed in 'Vampire Slayer' and only got about ten results. There weren't many to go on. I clicked on a link and it dropped me into a website about mythology. _Perfect_ , I thought.

It described a line of girls, not women, _girls_ that were meant to protect the world from vampires, darkness and evil. One theory was that it was a single girl that was reborn over and over. Another was that it was a special lineage that was passed down and inherited. Another theory was that the process of picking potentials and girls that were chosen was entirely random. All the theories agreed on one thing, though. The life of a Vampire Slayer was short, violent and ended in a bloody mess. The girls were called at fourteen or fifteen and usually dead by sixteen or seventeen. I felt very badly for Buffy Summers. If she was this Vampire Slayer, she was in for a really rough go of life. If you could call this life at all, that is. When Rupert got back, I didn't say anything about what I had heard. Instead, I told him that I had plans to go listen to live music tonight at the only club in town called The Bronze. He seemed surprised that I would go there and I shrugged; I liked live music now and then.

"Were you planning on walking there? It isn't safe out, a-after dark," he was placing a fist on his hip in a slightly sterner stance.

"I was planning to walk, yes. I didn't think you would be interested in that kind of thing. Did you want to go with me? You're much newer to town than I am, so I don't know if you've had a chance to see where everything is just yet," I replied. "Did you want to come with me?"

"I-I suppose I could do that. What time shall we depart?" I grinned.

"I had planned on being there at 7:30. So, 7:15?"

"I shan't be late," he replied. I nodded and held out my hand. He took it awkwardly and I shook it.

"Then it's a date."

"A-a date?" Rupert looked genuinely surprised by my announcement.

"Well, not in the traditional boy-takes-girl-out date. More like a colleague-drives-colleague date. Because you have a car and you have never been to the location before," I clarified. He looked relieved. I think that he was one of those men who thought dating a woman who was much younger than him was wrong. Thing was, even if I were interested in that way, he'd be the younger man. I'd be the cougar in the relationship. I decided to screw with his head a little and added, "Unless you think I'm not dating material because of my condition."

Rupert turned red and flustered at that and stuttered out that wasn't the case. He blathered on for a moment until he registered that I was snickering behind a raised hand and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. Very droll," he sniffed as he left and I started laughing even harder. It was so easy to push his buttons. I think I'm going to like seeing how uncomfortable I could make my new friend. The rest of the day passed quickly and I was feeling puckish by the time Rupert drove me home. I wasn't planning on dressing up too much, just something that was a little more comfortable but nothing seemed to fit. I sighed as I realized that I really needed to go clothing shopping again. I glanced at the clock. It was 5:30. I had time enough to get something to eat, something to drink and perhaps convince my ride to take us to the local mall first.

I reheated my leftovers from last night and drained some blood from a bag while I waited. I was really craving blood more and more often as the weeks went on. I'd more than doubled my intake and the guy I was buying the donations from was having trouble keeping enough in stock. He got his blood donations from silly vampire fan girls that knew their blood was going to be sold to vampires. They had the understanding that the vampires were 'too tortured to take it from them directly.' It was a really great con. They donated for free and the dealer, who was completely human, made off with 70% profits after buying supplies for drawing the blood in the first place.

Once I'd eaten the last morsel of my meal and drained another bag, I went up to my shower and washed the grime of the day away. As I washed my ever-swelling belly, I thought of the dream I'd had of Lucian. I hadn't had another since then but it gave me hope. I had used that dream as inspiration to sit down and write out some of the music from my home universe. It was the year 2015 when I'd been taken, so I had quite a few years' worth of music that I could potentially monopolize on in this universe. I could make a killing in the music industry as a song writer and have a greater income than what I did already. If I were lucky, I'd be able to get the same artists that sang them at home to sing them here. I would just have to time the 'inspirations' to around the same time as when they were recorded back home. If I could remember, that is. Right now, I had dozens of songs that I'd written from memory alone. I'd taken music classes when I was a child, so remembering the harmonies and notes for each part hadn't been too difficult.

I pulled myself from my thoughts and finished washing up. After toweling dry, I put on some looser clothes and then twisted my hair into a big, messy bun. I marched over to Rupert's apartment with my purse slung over my shoulder and knocked on the door. His surprised face told me he wasn't expecting to see me for a little bit longer. I gave a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Rupert. Sorry, I know we aren't supposed to leave for another hour but I'm turning more and more into a whale here by the day and I need to get more maternity clothes. Would you be so kind as to take me to the mall tonight before we go to The Bronze? I promise, I'm a fast shopper. I get what I need and then I get out, no fuss, no muss," I gave him my sweetest smile and puppy-dog eyes. He turned a bit red and stuttered out a yes.

"I just need to grab my jacket, just one moment." He was gone and back again quickly. We headed out to his car and in just a few minutes, we were in front of the small Sunnydale Mall. He parked us fairly far back and we walked into the bustling shopping center. I didn't take long to find a place that sold maternity and baby clothes. I headed straight for the clearance racks with Rupert not far behind. He looked distinctly uncomfortable. I rummaged through the racks for shirts and dresses that were two and three sizes larger than what I was currently wearing before I headed to the changing rooms. I wanted stuff that would last me a while. I tried on a few items and was satisfied with how they looked, although it was too bright and cheery for my tastes. Ugh, nineties styles were always too much for me. But, at least the clothes were cheaper. I picked out something that I felt was fairly cute, a quarter-length sleeved dress that went just past my knees. It had a little bit of cleavage showing in rich purple and white stripes that went diagonally across the body. I put it on, tore off the tag and put the shirt and jeans I'd been wearing into my purse.

Rupert was waiting for me just outside the dressing rooms and I smiled as I carried out the large armful of clothes I intended to buy. He moved to help me and I assured him that I was fine. We'd been there maybe thirty minutes and I paid for everything, including the dress I was wearing and assured the employees that the clothes in my purse were the ones I'd walked in wearing. I smiled and told them that I'd been wearing a size too small all day. They understood what I meant and didn't give me anymore trouble. I had several bags of clothes now and this time, Rupert insisted on taking some from me. I let him. Better to let him feel manly than look like a jerk to the passersby. When we got back to the car, we piled my purchases in the small trunk and got back into the car. He looked genuinely surprised that I'd been honest about my ability to shop so quickly. It was now nearly 7:15, so we headed directly to The Bronze.

I was too quick with pulling out my money, so Rupert couldn't pay for my cover charge and only paid for his own. I had a feeling he was going to pout about that but I was headed for the bar and ordering a chocolate milk shake before he could make any comments. They had food there too, but all I wanted was a side of pickles, which they were generous enough to give me a bowl filled with the crispy green slices. I saw my colleague walking around and then he pointed that he was heading upstairs. I raised my shake up and nodded that I understood. I was going to continue munching on my snack.

"Miss Wolfe? I didn't know you came to the Bronze!" I heard behind me. I turned and smiled warmly at the red head.

"Willow Rosenberg, I am delighted to see you out and about. Are you here with anyone tonight?" I responded as I took another sip of chocolatey goodness. She shook her head.

"Nope! I don't date much. Or at all," she responded. I smiled at her.

"I imagine the boys must fall all over themselves to ask you out," I complimented her. She blushed and shook her head. "No? Well, if they aren't, they're idiots. You are a beautiful young girl and I think one day, you're going to find a young man that's going to see that. He's going to look at you and say, 'Wow. What a girl. Wish she was mine.'"

"Thank you, Miss Wolfe," she replied. I don't think she knew what else to say.

"You're more than welcome, Willow. You know what? You are free to call me Danni. I don't mind. And I tell you what, Willow: I'm going to buy you a soda. You find a spot to sit down and I'll have them bring it to you, okay? Have fun hanging out with your friends tonight." She looked like she was about to refuse my generosity but I'd already ordered the soda for her and paid. She took a seat at a high counter and stool and they brought her the drink. She waved and I waved back as I finished off my snack and swayed to the beat of the music from my seat. I was still drinking my milk shake when I saw Buffy Summers join her. _So, Willow's made a new friend and she happens to be this Slayer. Interesting._ I didn't hear their conversation but it was short as the small blonde looked up and noticed Rupert Giles on the second floor, looking over the crowd. She excused herself and went up to join him. I couldn't hear over the din of the room but I had a feeling they were talking about vampires.

I was so busy watching them that when Buffy scrambled down to the dance floor, looking around with some panic in her eyes, I realized I couldn't see Willow anymore. Buffy must have seen something that worried her because she had her hand on something long and pointed in her shirt. I stood up and started pushing my way through the crowd to see if I could find her. The little Slayer disappeared from sight over by the restrooms and then reappeared looking more distraught. Rupert came up behind her and looked rather impressed, a smile forming on his face as he followed her.

"That was quick! Well done! Now I need to go to the library and start researching this Harvest you mentioned-"

"I didn't find them," she interrupted as she looked around the noisy club. Now that I was close enough to hear them, I became a little worried. In the months since I had been working at the library, I had really come to like Willow, Xander and Jessie. The threesome were friends that sometimes studied together when they had a free period. Knowing that Willow was in some danger made my eyes flash without my permission. I forced myself to reign in my emotions. It wouldn't do for me to lose control just because my hormones were going crazy.

"You mean the vampire isn't dead," Rupert's eyes were intense as he stared at the Slayer.

"No, but my social life is on the critical list," she snapped back.

"So, what do we do?"

"I'll take care of it."

"I-I need to come with you, yes?"

"Don't worry. One vampire I can handle," she peeled his worried hand off her arm and strode towards an exit. Rupert looked worried and then spotted me not too far away. He looked apologetic as he came over.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Miss Wolfe, but it seems that I have some work to do at the library that I forgot all about. If it's quite all right, I'll drop you off at home and I will see you in the morning?"

"Sure, of course. Have to research that Harvest for the Slayer, right?" I said casually as I slung my purse over my shoulder. The look of unabashed shock and surprise on his face told me that he wasn't expecting that response.

"H-how on Earth do you know about that?" he whispered to me furiously, looking about.

"When you have conversations about Slayers and Vampires in a library, be sure that you are actually alone or the whole 'secret identity' thing becomes a moot point." He looked very embarrassed. "Besides, I'm not the only one who heard you two talking. Xander Harris was in the stacks when you guys had your little discussion. I'm not sure if he believes it's true but I know for a fact that there are vampires in Sunnydale."

"How do you know?" he was very curious now.

"I killed one on my first day in town," I told him. "I actually kill a few each week. I get their wallets and then I stake them. It's a little extra cash on the side, you know? I've been using it to save for the cribs and clothes for the babies. It's a bit more difficult to keep it up now."

"Good lord," he muttered, taking off his glasses to polish them. It was a nervous habit, I noticed. "I had no idea."

"Most people think it's gangs on PCP around here. I think that is the worst cover they could have come up with but that's their choice to be so ignorant," I responded and headed for the door. He followed, seemingly lost in thought.

"So you've known about vampires since you reached town?" he questioned.

"I didn't know what they were at first. I found one about to kill this girl and I kicked its ass. It fell onto a broken up wooden pallet and one really thin piece got him through the chest. He turned to dust and I was a bit surprised. The next night, his buddy came after me, so I killed him too. I steered clear of going out at night until I knew for sure what they were. Then, I just killed a couple a week. I'd paralyze them by breaking a couple bones in the neck and then I'd rob them of their money. Then, I'd stake them," I replied as I got into his car. He got in and soon we were headed to the high school. He used his keys to unlock the doors and we went straight to the library.

"So you killed them for financial gain?" he sounded like he disapproved of my decision but I could care less.

"When you barely have enough money for food and you're just getting started with nothing, you really can't cry about the moral qualms that come with your decision to survive," I stated as I stashed my purse in my desk. He handed me a thick, musty volume and didn't comment further. I started pouring over the words, which were in an obscure Middle English. He probably hadn't realized that when he gave it to me. I was able to read it well enough, though. I'd learned multiple languages in my time as a Lycan. Moving from country to country after the Keep had been burnt down had its advantages. I didn't see anything in this particular volume that would help us, so I grabbed another off the stack and began to thumb through that one instead.

I was feeling a little puckish again, this time a definite craving for blood. Pursing my lips, I put the book down and headed for the mini fridge in my office. I had a blood bag in there that I'd hidden behind some innocuous food items. Pulling it out and closing the door, I pulled out my extra thermos from the desk and poured the blood in there to make it less conspicuous. What didn't fit into the thermos, I drained quickly with my eyes rolled back into my head. It was like tasting a refreshing spring water. I wrapped up the blood bag into an old plastic shopping bag and stuffed it into my purse. I took the thermos with me back to sitting out with the books. Rupert noticed the thermos immediately.

"Oh, is that tea? I'd love a cup, if you don't mind." He reached for it and I pulled it to the other side of the table.

"Not likely something you want to drink, Mr. Giles," I joked. "Unless you fancy an old family herbal remedy for the heavily pregnant woman? I doubt you have a need for something to soothe your aching bosom."

"Ah, no. Thank you, though," he responded with reddening cheeks. Satisfied that he wouldn't be asking for the thermos again, I continued reading through the book I'd selected. It was filled with prophecies and lore about the Slayer and other things of that nature. I was about to abandon the tome when I froze. There was a picture that had been drawn of a cloak with a hood that bore very familiar writing. Writing in a language I recognized but didn't understand. Writing that would flare up on my arm whenever I was about to jump realities. It nearly took my breath away to see it on paper. I closed the book quietly and then reached for another tome, noting which one it was. I couldn't take a moment to read that just yet. We were looking for something else right now.

We searched through the various books and scrolls for hours. Before long, the dawn had come and gone and now students were arriving at the school. When Buffy arrived, she had Xander and Willow in tow to our surprise. She was surprised to see me. We hadn't met yet, so she gave me a dubious stare and looked unsure of whether or not she should say anything. I smiled and stood up, albeit a little awkwardly, and held out a hand. She gave me a very firm grip, which I purposefully gave a much daintier return grip.

"I'm Daenerys Wolfe, the assistant librarian. We haven't been introduced yet. Nice to meet you, Buffy."

"Okay… I was hoping to speak to Mr. Giles about using the library for some… permanent study groups," she improvised quickly. I laughed.

"I know the secret. As I told Mr. Giles, if you're going to have conversations about secret powers and want to maintain a secret identity, you should make sure the library is empty before having conversations about those kinds of things," I smiled as I sat down in the seat. Willow sank into a seat next to me. She was pale and shaking. I didn't blame her, the poor thing. It was probably her first encounter with something that wasn't human and I could only imagine her terror.

"What is with this town and everybody knowing who I am?" Buffy threw her hands up in exasperation. I shrugged.

"I only know because you guys didn't bother to check the library for people before jumping into your conversation about the paranormal. Xander was here for that too, by the way," I nodded at the dark haired boy. He looked a bit sheepish. "If other people know, they have their sources."

"Shall we get back to the business at hand?" Rupert broke in. We looked to him expectantly and obediently. He started gathering other books as he walked back down from the raised area the books were in to the lower reading areas. I noticed that Buffy was holding her right elbow painfully and stood back up, went to the freezer and grabbed a gel ice pack for injuries. I brought it back to her and she gave me a grateful smile. "This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons, demons walked the earth. They made it their home, their, uh, their hell. But in time, they lost their purchase on this reality, and the way was made for mortal animals, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures."

"And vampires," Buffy chimed in.

"Okay, this is where I have a problem. See, because we're talking about vampires. We're having a talk with vampires in it," Xander declared.

"Isn't that what we saw last night?" Willow wondered aloud.

"No. No, those weren't vampires, those were just guys in thundering need of a facial. O-or maybe they had rabies, it could have been rabies! A-and that guy turning to dust, just a trick of the light," Buffy offered and Xander looked between her and Rupert dubiously. Buffy resumed speaking, cradling the ice pack against her bruised arm. "That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part."

"Oh, I-I need to sit down," Willow sounded a bit faint.

"You are sitting down," the blonde Slayer reminded her.

"Oh, good for me."

"So vampires are demons?" Xander questioned. It was a very good question. I'd read a little on the subject and had a basic understanding but turned to Rupert expectantly for the answer.

"The books tell that the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human. Mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed – infected – by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the earth, feeding. Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out and the old ones to return," he replied. His expression didn't make light of anything he spoke of. This was the serious stuff.

"So, killing vampires is pretty straight up, then? Stake through the heart, decapitation, sunlight? What about other methods of killing and defense?" I questioned. "I've been using stakes and decapitation but that's all I knew for sure."

" _You've_ been killing vampires?" Buffy asked with an incredulous look on her face. I turned to look at her and nodded. "How have you been killing vampires? Do you carry a sword around?"

I went to my purse and jacket, which I'd left in my office, and brought them back. I pulled the jacket open, which was to about mid-thigh in length, and revealed a medium sized sword and several small daggers hidden in the lining. The sword was a wakizashi, a 20 inch blade Japanese sword with a 6 inch handle that was several inches smaller than my katana at home. Mine was a full tang sword with HRC60 hardened edge and I kept it well maintained. It was hidden in the left side of the jacket because I was right handed. On the right side, alongside the daggers I used for throwing, I had an 11 inch blade tanto with a 4 inch handle, also with a full tang. Their handles were wrapped in black cotton so that if there was any blood spray, it wouldn't show. Even Rupert registered surprise at my mini arsenal.

"Now that Buffy's here, you don't have to worry about that anymore," the Watcher responded to my question, evading the bit I wanted answered.

"I'm sorry but how does Buffy being here factor into this?" Xander asked.

"She's the Slayer," I offered.

"And that would be a what?" he persisted.

"For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer, one girl in all the world, a Chosen one…" Rupert began.

"He loves doing this part," Buffy quipped with a small smile.

"All right, the Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is the Slayer. Don't tell anyone," he responded, slightly miffed. "Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need."

"Well, except for one thing. How do you kill them?" Xander questioned.

"You don't. I do," Buffy replied.

"Well, Jessie is my –"

"Jessie is my responsibility. I let him get taken."

"That's not true."

"If you hadn't shown up, they would have taken us, too," Willow chimed in for the first time in a while. "Does anybody mind if I pass out?"

"Breathe," Buffy advised.

"Breathe," the redhead responded.

"Breathe," the Slayer confirmed. "This big guy, Luke. He talked about an offering to the Master. Now, I don't know what or who but if they aren't just feeding, then Jessie may still be alive. I'm gonna find him."

"Uh, this may be the dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police?" Willow sounded like even she didn't believe she was asking that but I gave her a comforting smile to show my support.

"And they'd believe us, of course," Rupert stood up, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Well, we don't have to say vampires. We could just say that there's a bad man," her brow was raised and knitted in worry.

"They couldn't handle it even if they did show up. They'd only come with guns," the Slayer responded.

"We don't want to add to an already growing body count," I agreed.

"You have no idea where they took Jessie?" Rupert asked turning to face the table.

"I looked around but as soon as they got clear of the graveyard, they could have just… voom!" she waved her hand in emphasis from her position behind Willow. Xander's eyes widened slightly.

"They can fly?"

"They can drive."

"Oh."

I gave a little chuckle at that and the dark haired teen glared at me. Willow's face scrunched up in confusion. "I don't remember hearing a car."

"Let's take an enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they went underground," Rupert's tone was like that of a teacher.

"Vampires really jam on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in the entire town without catching any rays. But I didn't see any access around there." Buffy's face was one of mild frustration.

"Well, there's an electrical tunnel that runs under the whole town."

"If we have a diagnostic of the tunnel system, it might indicate a meeting place. I-I suppose we could go to the building commission," the older man shook his head and placed his hands in his pockets.

"We _so_ don't have time!"

"Uh, guys? There may be another way," the brilliant redhead offered. She walked over to the small bank of computers and logged onto the internet. While everyone gathered around her as she worked, I grabbed my thermos and drained the contents. I needed to go home and drink more blood or else I might get too hungry here and food wasn't going to satisfy me. It wasn't long before the information that Willow sought was on the screen and Buffy was pointing out a section of interest.

"There it is," she declared

"That runs under the graveyard," Willow responded.

"I don't see any access," Xander squinted at the screen.

"So, all the city plans are just… open to the public?" Rupert asked as he popped a mint into his mouth. I laughed and shook my head.

"Uh, well, in a way… I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidently decrypted the city council's security system," she kept her eyes studiously on the computer in front of her while the Watcher worked it out. Obviously, this was not strictly legal.

"Someone's been naughty," Xander teased.

"Well, at least she isn't going out and getting drunk like some teenagers in this town do," I laughed.

"There's nothing here! This is useless!" Buffy was getting more frustrated as she walked away from the computers.

"I think you're being a bit hard on yourself," Giles offered.

"You're the one that told me I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement. I thought I was on top of everything and then that monster Luke came out of nowhere –" She stopped herself and her eyes grew distant for a moment. She was remembering a detail that she'd overlooked before. I could see it in her eyes.

"What?" Xander asked curiously.

"He didn't come out of nowhere," she shook her head as she looked through her memories. "He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance, he came from behind me but he didn't follow me out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum! The girl must have doubled back with Jessie after I got out. God, I am so mentally challenged!"

"So what's the plan? We saddle up, right?" Xander was all ready to jump into the action.

"There's no 'we,' okay? I'm the Slayer and you're not."

"I knew you'd throw that back in my face," he retorted.

"Xander, this is deeply dangerous."

"I'm inadequate. It's fine. I'm less than a man," he was a young man whose pride was hurt. I stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off.

"Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place with monsters, but I do want to help. I need to," Willow spoke up softly.

"Well, then, help me," Rupert asked, leaning over to look at the computer screen. "I've been researching this Harvest affair. It seems to be some preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, hell on earth. Quite charmless. I'm a bit fuzzy, however, on the details. It may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine."

I snickered at the reactions on the faces of the younger people in the room to Rupert's description of the computer before him. He looked around and offered, "That was a bit… British, wasn't it?"

"Welcome to the New World," Buffy chuckled.

"I want you to go on the net," he clarified. Willow smiled and gave a small laugh.

"Oh, sure. I can do that," she turned back towards the computer and began typing.

"Then I'm out of here," Buffy declared. "If Jessie's alive, I'll bring him back."

"Do I have to tell you to be careful?" Rupert asked her and she turned around, giving a small smile in return.

She was heading out the door. I walked faster than I was used to these days and caught up to her. I followed her out the library, my jacket already pulled on and my purse over my shoulder with the thermos inside. This would be the perfect excuse to go back to my apartment and feed. I was sure the girl could take care of herself. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. No one seemed to notice my departure in the library and I was grateful for that.

"I'm sorry but you can't come with me," she said as we stepped outside into the sunshine.

"You don't get to decide what I do and don't do. Besides, I need to go home for a short bit. I didn't pack a meal for the day and I'm eating for four," I responded. She stopped and her eyes bugged out of her head.

"You're eating for _four?_ "

"Yep. Triplets. Two girls and a boy, or so says the ultrasound. Don't worry, Buffy. I can handle myself. I've been training with weapons like these for years." I patted my jacket gently. I started walking towards the gate and she caught up with me easily. We were about to cross the threshold when Principal Flutie stopped us.

"And where do we think we're going?" he asked, his eyes darting between me and the student at my side. This was going to be a problem. Thinking quickly, before Buffy could come up with some lie, I swayed heavily on my feet, leaning on the little blonde for support. I gave a shallow sigh and did my best to look pale.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Flutie. Miss Summers was there when I nearly fainted in the library. I think something's wrong with the babies," I spoke with a faint voice and half opened eyes. My hands fluttered to my belly and he gave a worried stare. "I asked her to help me to at least get home to my apartment. I have some medications there that I forgot to take this morning. You know, blood pressure and those sort of things. I don't live far and she has this period free. I can call you when I get there and let you know when she's back on her way… if that's okay?"

He looked torn between scolding the blonde for having been about to be a delinquent and praising her for being so thoughtful. I could see he was about to choose the former, so I swooned again and Buffy, to her credit, held my weight admirably as she turned to the principal and said, "Sir, I really think she needs to lay down. She said she only lives about three blocks away. I think I can help her that far. I really don't think she should be alone."

It was the pleading of my eyes and the tone of Buffy's voice that sealed it, I think. He sighed and nodded, waiving his hand in our general direction. He gave me a concerned look and a frown before turning back to the school. If the student was helping out in a true emergency situation, he really couldn't say anything about it. We walked towards my apartment with me leaning on her shoulder for a good few minutes before separating when I was sure that Mr. Flutie wasn't watching us. She whistled and gave me a smile.

"I did _not_ think that would work," she praised me.

"What can I say? Men are inherently uncomfortable with three things: women who are crying, women who talk about their periods and women who are so pregnant that they look like they might give birth at any time," I counted off on one hand and smiled. "The quicker you learn to manipulate those things in a work setting, the easier life becomes as a woman."

Buffy laughed and held out her hand for a high-five. I gave it to her and grinned. We were passing the cemetery and she headed for the gates. I wished her luck as I continued down Oak Park Street to my apartment, just another two blocks down. I was feeling hungrier as I got closer and closer to my destination. When I got there, I opened the door with hands that were shaking. The food I'd eaten last night hadn't been sitting well with me and I was realizing more and more that I would need to be on a diet of pure blood and that I was going to have to feed more and more often. When I got to the fridge, I pulled out all the blood I had stored there. There were four bags left in my stash. It wasn't going to be enough. I drained them, one after another. When I had nothing left, I picked up the phone and made a call to the dealer. He and I argued and I hung up in frustration. He was currently out of stock. I was currently full but I knew I was going to need more soon.

I sank down to the ground against the wall of my living room and gently pounded my head against it in frustration. I picked up the phone and called Mr. Flutie and told him apologetically that Buffy would be staying with me for the rest of her classes. I lied to him and told him that she had helped me to the apartment but that I wasn't feeling any better, so she helped me to the hospital on Thousand Oaks Drive. I hung up and wiped the blood from my mouth. Standing back up, I grabbed my purse and started walking to the hospital on my own. I would have to raid the blood supply they had on hand if I was going to stop myself from attacking normal people. I had no choice. People couldn't find out what I was and I wasn't going to let my unborn children starve. I went in through the emergency entrance and told the nurse that I was feeling very wrong. While she unknowingly set up everything to make my lie to principal a half-truth, I let her set me up with an IV.

When they tried to draw blood, I told them it was against my religion. I said that I thought I was just dehydrated. They did an ultrasound just to be safe and I let them. I needed one anyway. It'd been almost two weeks since the last one. Everything looked good for the fetuses and they were in good health, according to the instrumentation. I was pleased with that but knew that was something that could change quickly if I didn't get them the proper nutrition they needed. I stayed there for several hours while they performed non-invasive tests on me and when they discharged me, I quite happily snuck into their blood bank and filled up two of the larger coolers they had on hand.

I filled them to the point of nearly stuffing in the extra blood bags. There were probably 110 bags of blood in all that I took and I let them float behind me, low to the ground like I was pulling them on some kind of cart. I was receiving some odd looks as I left but amazingly, no one tried to stop me. I supposed that some people knew better than to try and challenge something that was so out of place. Some people have a stronger survival instinct than others. I knew if someone tried to stop me, I'd kill them and feed on their warm blood. That would put me down a very dark path that I didn't want to travel. When I got back to the apartment, I stacked the coolers in front of the fridge with a wave of my hand. I took the remaining food items out and shoved what I could into the freezer. Until the children were here, I would have to survive on blood alone and I would need massive amounts.

I drank a couple more bags and began walking back to the school. The blood would keep in the coolers until I returned. The school was mostly empty when I returned and I walked into the library to find everyone already there, having a big discussion without me. I saw that Rupert was relieved to see that I was all right. Buffy nodded at me, looking grateful.

"The minion is called the vessel and he bears this symbol," the Watcher was finishing his revelations, drawing a three pointed star on a white board. It looked like a symbol for a Chrysler vehicle.

"So… I dust anyone sporting that symbol and no Harvest?" Buffy asked as she got closer, examining the drawing more closely. Rupert nodded.

"Simply put, yes."

"Any ideas on where this little get together is being held?" she asked with an intense look.

"Well, there are a number of possibilities…" Rupert began and then Xander cut in.

"They're going to the Bronze."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"Come on, all those tasty young morsels all over the place? Anyway, that's where Jessie's gonna be, trust me."

"Wait, where is Jessie now?" I asked with some confusion.

"We didn't get there in time. They turned him into a vampire," Buffy responded with a look of significant guilt on her face. I immediately felt bad for the boy's two friends. They'd been together for years; Willow was always talking about either Jessie or Xander.

"Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long," Rupert put down the Expo marker and grabbed his suit jacket. He pulled it on and the teens followed him, as did I.

"I gotta make a stop. It won't take long," Buffy declared. Rupert turned slightly as he walked to look at her.

"What for?"

"Supplies."

When we arrived at Buffy's house, she went in, promising that she wouldn't take long. When she'd been in there for more than the few minutes she promised, I went to the door and began knocking. I had an inkling that Mr. Flutie had told Mrs. Summers a white lie about my white lie. A slightly disgruntled older woman with blonde curly hair answered the door with a look of confusion on her face. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Hello, are you Joyce Summers? Buffy's mother?" I asked, loudly. Behind the woman, I could see a staircase. At the top, Buffy suddenly peeked her head out with a confused frown.

"Yes? What's this about?" she asked, concern etched on her lovely face.

"I'm Daenerys Wolfe, the assistant librarian at the high school. I don't know what you heard from Principal Flutie about today…" I started.

"I heard from him that Buffy skipped out on some of her classes," she said sternly. I nodded and gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm afraid that was my fault. I'm surprised he didn't tell you; I would think he would be proud that a new student was so heroic on her second day." At the top of the stairs, I could see Buffy was catching the drift I was sending her way. I was paving the way for her to get out of whatever trouble Principal Flutie had gotten her into. I had suspected that he would be too much of a stickler for the rules and might not take the whole story into account.

"Heroic? What are you talking about?" she folded her arms across her chest. A classic sign of being standoffish and closed off. Her tone was still curious, though. That was all I needed.

"Well, she was so wonderful! I wasn't feeling at all right and, with my condition," I gestured to my large belly, "I thought perhaps I'd just forgotten to take some medication this morning. Principal Flutie knew all about it when she helped me from the school to my apartment. I wasn't feeling any better after taking my pills and she helped me to the hospital. I even called Principal Flutie to let him know that she was still with me at my insistence. I just moved to town a few months ago and I'm all alone. I was scared that something was going to happen to my little darlings."

I was laying it on thick, I knew. I wanted to give Buffy the chance to get out of this without getting into any trouble. Joyce's face immediately softened to concern and she reached towards me in a mothering gesture.

"Darlings? Is it twins?" she asked softly.

"Triplets," I nodded, one hand sitting on top of my large bump. "Anyway, I was just hoping to see if I could thank Buffy by taking her out to a meal at the local dance club, the Bronze. Nothing crazy, just a simple meal of gratitude for her and a couple of her friends as a little reward. I can't thank her enough for helping me out today. These little ones are all I have left of someone I love dearly that isn't in my life anymore."

That was the little piece that got us into business. She smiled a little bit and then called up to Buffy that she was allowed to go out tonight after all. Buffy had a small bag that she slung over her shoulder that clicked with wood inside, though I'm sure her mother was oblivious. I smiled sweetly and held my hand out to the tiny Slayer. She took my hand and waved at her mother as we went to Rupert's car. _Mission accomplished,_ I congratulated myself. Onto the next.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. Again, I don't own Adele or any music that she has written or sung. This means, I unfortunately don't own "Someone Like You." Although, I do own a copy of at least two of her albums and enjoy them vigorously. I also don't own any other music mentioned in this fiction. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 17

Driving to the Bronze was uncomfortable for some of us in Rupert's tiny car. Buffy was sitting on Willow's lap, though Xander had bravely announced that he would sacrifice his comfort for the greater good. She declined gracefully with an elbow to the chest that left him gasping for air. I was given the front seat, no questions asked. When we arrived at the warehouse that acted as the club, I pulled out my tanto and wakizashi from my jacket as we tried the main entrance, which was already sealed shut. Dallying at Buffy's house had cost us time and she protested, "I didn't know I was going to get grounded!"

While Buffy found her own way inside, we went to the back and Rupert killed a vampire that was standing guard. I dispatched another that came out to investigate by cutting off its head in a single blow. I noticed my companions were impressed. I smiled sweetly and gestured towards the door for them to begin evacuating the people inside. There was a noise that was coming from behind us and I knew that the others, being so intent inside, weren't going to catch on to the coming ambush. I turned and faced the three vampires that tried to sneak up on me.

"You might consider turning the other way and running," I advised. There were people outside now, running in the opposite direction. I paid them no mind. The vampires in front of me snickered among each other.

"Why would we give up such an easy and tasty meal?" the male in the lead stepped forward with a saunter, ignoring that I was armed. The other male and the female that were following him were starting to surround me. I was bored already.

"Why are the vampires in this world so stupid?" I wondered aloud as I put my weapons back into their sheathes. This just amused them further. The lead vampire stepped forward and was about to grab me when I raised a hand and his comrades were lifted into the air. I looked behind me to see if the others were in sight and was pleased that they'd all made it inside. I shifted my form and turned back to the vampire that was still in front of me. His face showed the alarm he must have felt at seeing his prey suddenly become the predator. With a twist of my wrist, the necks of the two lackeys broke and I thrust out my other hand to break the leader's neck too. I let myself feel for the wooden stakes that were in the bag forgotten by my comrades outside of the building and they flew around me until they met their marks in the vampires' hearts. The flurry of dust was comforting to see.

I walked over to the doorway and found chaos inside. There was an enormous vampire on the stage, thickly muscled, fighting with the tiny blonde Slayer. He had an advantage of strength but she was much faster than he was. I decided to keep myself out of the main fray to avert any suspicion that might arise. My face and eyes had returned to normal but my teeth were refusing to become more human. I kept my mouth shut as I guided people fleeing the scene to the open back door. I wasn't able to call out a warning to Rupert when a blond vampire pushed him down and tried to bite him but Willow was there to save his bacon with a jar of holy water.

"Get away from him!" she cried as she splashed it in her face. The vampire screamed and fled, smoking the whole way. I didn't bother with trying to stop her. I could smell blood everywhere and my teeth ached with the desire to bite something. I concentrated on the room in front of me and saw Xander talking to Jessie, whose face bore the demonic visage of a vampire. Poor kid. Never had a chance. A fleeing woman bumped Jessie and he turned to dust; Xander had been holding up a stake as a barrier between him and his former friend. Two other vampires grabbed the boy. The held him as a hostage at first, watching the end of Buffy's battle with rapt attention.

Beneath the stage were half a dozen corpses that had been drained of blood by the huge vampire. He fought with brute strength instead of with intelligence and that was his downfall. Buffy dodged him again and rolled over to the side where bands could get stands for their music. She grabbed a music stand and held it at the ready.

"You forget that metal doesn't hurt me," the vampire crowed proudly.

"You forgot something too. Daylight," she said as she threw the metal stand through the blackened window behind him and light streamed onto the stage. He covered his face and started groaning but stopped after a moment when no smoke began to rise and his skin didn't boil. Buffy took the time to race up behind him and stab him in the back with a stake. "It's in about nine hours, moron," she declared in his ear. Even from my vantage point I could see his wide eyes and the look of shock that he'd been bested. He stumbled for a moment before falling from the stage and bursting into dust when he hit the ground below. Buffy looked up slowly at the two vampires holding Xander and they looked at each other before letting go and fleeing for their miserable lives.

We left before the police arrived. We took Buffy home and I made a point of walking her to the door and thanking Joyce for allowing me to 'treat' her. We took the others home and watched them enter their houses before Rupert drove us back to our apartments. We'd all agreed to meet up in the morning to discuss the next move and to see what people were saying about the incident. As I entered the apartment, I closed and locked the door quickly before heading for the two stacked coolers of blood. I was feeling ravenous. The blood I'd smelled in the Bronze had nearly driven me mad and I gorged on four bags before I was able to stop myself. I loaded the rest into the fridge, glad that I'd taken the time to empty out everything else. I wasn't able to stuff it all in. I had to grab some ice from the freezer and put it into one of the coolers so that the rest wouldn't go bad. I went to the bathroom and decided to just stay in a camisole and panties for the rest of the evening. I was starting to feel a bit warm.

"It's going to be interesting meeting you three," I murmured as I stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom, one hand on my middle. I picked up my toothbrush and mint toothpaste and brushed until my teeth were squeaky clean. I knew I was going to need a bigger place once they were born but I didn't have the money just yet. It was a work in progress but I knew it would get done in time. Rent for apartments were extremely cheap in Sunnydale. It probably had something to do with the population dying so often. For Pete's sake, they had funerals at night because there were so many people dying all the time. The current apartment only had two bedrooms and it wouldn't do for me to have all three of the children in one bedroom, being that one was a boy. They needed to have some privacy. I sighed as I finished in the bathroom. My hair was brushed, my teeth were clean, and my face was washed and moisturized. I went to my bedroom and laid on my back with a pillow underneath it.

I was awakened the next morning by my alarm. I got up and stretched. I did some exercises meant to keep me nimble and flexible. I wanted to ensure that I continued to have the strength to do just about anything. I did some modified yoga and when I was finished, I hopped into the shower. I was clean and ready to go by the time that Rupert knocked on my door. I knew it was going to get more difficult as the days went on to hide my blood consumption from him, and now the little group that we had now formed. I was going to have to eat regular food when I was around them and then supplement heavily with the blood when I could get away. I still had until June. It was only the beginning of February.

As we walked through the campus, I heard some students saying that the events at the Bronze were because of a gang on PCP having a turf war. Some of them were whispering about how Buffy was involved and I felt bad for the girl. She does so much to help and all she gets are rumors behind her back. We met up outside and Buffy was nursing a sucker. Xander was only able to talk about how people weren't calling it what it was: a vampire attack.

"What exactly were you expecting?" Buffy asked him as she joined the group.

"I don't know, something. I mean, the dead rose. We should at least have an assembly," he quipped.

"People have a tendency to rationalize what they can understand and forget what they can't," Rupert added.

"Believe me, I've seen it happen," Buffy confirmed.

"Well, I'll never forget. None of it," Willow chimed in. I grinned as we walked along.

"Better to have our eyes open to the reality of the world around us than to drift along with closed minds," I agreed.

"Good, next time we'll be prepared," Rupert said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Next time?" Xander asked.

"Next time is why?" Willow agreed with a frown.

"Well, we've prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the mouth of hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning," he responded.

"More vampires?" the redhead sounded a little alarmed.

"Not just vampires. The next threat we face might be something quite different," the Watcher had a smile on his face at the thought. _Wow, I had no idea he fancied danger so much,_ I thought with a raised brow.

"I can hardly wait," the Slayer shrugged and popped the sucker back into her mouth.

"We are at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction," Rupert's brow furrowed.

"Well, I got to look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school," Buffy quipped as she looked at Willow.

"Oh, yeah. That's a plan, 'cause a lot of schools aren't on Hellmouths," Xander agreed sarcastically as the teens walked away.

"Maybe you could blow something up. They're really strict about that," Willow offered helpfully.

"I was think of a more subtle approach. You know, like, excessive not studying," I heard Buffy's voice drifting back to us as they walked away. Rupert closed his eyes and shook his head before turning around and heading to the library with me.

"The Earth is doomed," he declared as he adjusted his glasses. I laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I don't know about that. I think we might be in very fashionable hands," I joked and he rolled his eyes. We made it to the library and I sighed as I looked at the small pile of returned books. At least things wouldn't be horribly dull now.

* * *

Two weeks went by before anything odd started happening. Buffy would come to the library to train during her free periods and Willow and Xander were often there to offer support and playful quips to keep things light and fun. I was consuming more blood than ever. I didn't know if it was just that I was craving it or if it was out of need but I was to the point of drinking the equivalent of at least one human body's worth per day. It was disturbing, to say the least. There'd never been a hybrid like me before and there was no telling what my children would be like. Would they be like me? Would they be more Lycan than hybrid? Would they require blood after they were born or would my breastmilk be enough? How in the hell would I find a babysitter to be with them?

My pregnancy was starting to get in the way of doing normal things. Poor Rupert's front passenger seat was pushed all the way back now whenever he came to pick me up so that I could keep a small modicum of space between me and the dashboard. Going to the bathroom was an hourly affair and the children kept kicking and moving around so much that I was sure my bladder was bruised. My kidneys didn't fare well either. And I was getting annoyed at people in general. Somehow, being pregnant gave every person I didn't know the right to put their hands on my stomach because they wanted to feel the babies moving around. I just wanted to bash their skulls in for invading my personal space.

Everyone was becoming sweeter about the pregnancy, though. The staff at the school had decided to throw me a baby shower and Mr. Flutie was kind enough to let them use the gymnasium as the location. I invited Willow, Xander, Buffy and Rupert myself. It promised to be quite spectacular. They were waiting until I was at thirty-two weeks to have the party and I was grateful that I was getting anything at all. I hadn't had another dream about Lucian and I began to think that perhaps it was just a wishful dream. There was no way that it could have been real, I realized. I just wanted it so badly that it seemed that way.

When it was announced that there would be cheerleading try outs, I was a little surprised. Until I learned that a third of the squad had died at the Bronze during the Harvest. That made a little more sense to me. When I walked into the library the morning of the announcement, I was a little taken aback by the scene before me.

"This is madness. What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer. Lives depend upon you. I make allowances for your youth but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, instead of which you enslave yourself to this… this… cult!" Rupert was pacing as he spoke, his eyes fixing on the blonde Slayer before him. She was wearing a white sweater, a red skirt and holding two pompoms that were burgundy and yellow. They reminded me of the caps and gowns we had to wear to graduation when I was in high school. She was staring at the Watcher with raised brows.

"You don't like the color?" she asked hesitantly.

"I… Do you ignore everything I say as a rule?" he sniffed as he went to organizing books instead. Buffy smiled.

"No. I believe that's your trick," she replied before she turned and noticed me. "Danni! What's with the up?"

"Oh, not much. I've become a walking, talking incubator for the future generations. It's no big deal," I smirked as I put my purse on the counter. "But I can see that we have a new contestant for the position of the leaders of cheer. I would bow down before the mighty cry to 'be… aggressive… be-be aggressive!' but I'm afraid that would topple me. Literally."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. Rupert had a small smile on his face that was there one second and gone the next, replaced by an annoyed glare at the cheerleading outfit. "Giles isn't too keen on me trying out for the cheerleading squad. I take it you approve?"

"Of you becoming a soul-sucking über-cheer monster? Of course. Just remember that the soul-sucking bit is only part-time."

"She has a sacred birthright!" the Brit responded, "She was chosen to slay vampires not… wave pompoms at people."

"And as a Slayer, she needs to keep physically fit through training, right?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"And as a cheerleader, she will have the ability to train in a setting that will encourage stretching, being flexible and keeping physically fit. All things that she needs to be doing as the Slayer, right?"

"Of course," he replied with a little bit of a scowl. He knew where I was going with this.

"You really can't prevent me from trying out," Buffy chimed in. "It's like, as the Slayer, it's my sacred duty to be on the squad."

I nodded and high-fived her as she danced out triumphantly, calling back that she'd see us later. When I turned back to my colleague, he wasn't too happy that I sided with Buffy.

"I'm her Watcher, Miss Wolfe. You undermined my authority and now she thinks she can just come to you for permission on these things!" he hissed. Boy, was he grouchy. But I could see his point. I sighed.

"To be perfectly candid, Rupert, she was going to do this with or without your permission. She's a teenage girl. She's interested in boys and clothes and making sure that she fits in, or as much as she can fit in with the life she's been leading. You can't possibly know what it's like to be a teenage girl. At that age, we're all gossip and angst. Every little thing our parents do is either embarrassing or about to ruin what little social life we have. Not to mention, if you're not popular with some people, the emotional toll it can take is staggering. She deserves to find some kind of happiness, even if it means pompoms," I told him as I shrugged off my jacket and put my purse away in my office. He still mumbled under his breath as he went about his work, although I'm sure he agreed with me to a point.

It turned out that there was a little bit of excitement in the gym during the try outs. One girl's hands burst into flames and Buffy had to put them out. I wasn't able to stay and hear the whole thing but the first theory was that it was spontaneous human combustion. I was sure I didn't want to know any more than that. I heard from other teachers that the poor girl had second and third degree burns on her hands and arms. I hoped she would be okay.

I had to leave a bit early for a doctor's appointment and although Rupert had offered to take me, I told him that if there were spontaneously combusting teenagers that it was his job to find out and stop it. That was more important. Besides, it was daylight. I wouldn't have to worry about vampires for hours, not that they were a worry to me in the first place. Walking after having the benefit of being driven everywhere was both a release and a little bit of a nightmare. I was just a bit sore in the legs by the time I got to the doctor's office and vowed to walk home more often; I needed the exercise more than I cared to admit.

The checkup went as planned. Every new ultrasound brought me to tears. I was going to meet my children in just a few short weeks. I still hadn't decided on names yet but I thought of a few that were in my top ten for each child. I fought with my hormones to keep me from having a full break down. I missed Lucian. I wanted him there so badly. It was the first thing I thought of in the morning, the last before I fell asleep each night. I wanted him with me. I decided to go straight home after the appointment. I wasn't in the mood to go back to work and I'm sure that Rupert would cover for me if Mr. Flutie asked any questions. I fed as soon as I got home and called the land lord to see if he had any openings for a three bedroom apartment. I knew the ones just a few units down were three bedrooms and was hoping that I would only have to move that far over before I gave birth.

When I got off the phone, I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe my luck. As horrible as it was for the former tenant at the end of my building, they had recently died in an accident. The person who lived there was a recently divorced man named Rick Bauer. He didn't have custody of his son, the land lord had babbled on, but he'd had the three bedroom for when the kid came over. I felt bad for the boy and knew he'd be heartbroken. But his loss gave me what I needed. Even more fortuitous, the land lord, a Mr. Rakes, was an elderly man who loved children and didn't like to see single mothers with a tragic past struggle. He told me that I could move into that apartment whenever I was ready and he wouldn't even raise my rent. I told him that he was the best human being I've ever known and that I would kiss him on the cheek the next time he came by to get the rent. I could almost feel the heat from the blush he was certainly experiencing through the receiver.

When I called Rupert to tell him the good news, he was happy for me. However, the good news didn't last long. Apparently, there was nothing abnormal about the young girl who'd burst into flames. She'd never been a Firestarter before. He suspected something a little darker was on the rise. I told him that unless it had to deal with research, I would be useless. Besides, I had other things on my mind. After spying that bit in the book a couple weeks earlier, I'd nicked the book itself and was using whatever resources I had to translate the pieces I didn't know. And, after some prodding for information from Rupert, I'd gleaned that not only were vampires a reality in this universe, so were witches. I had never dabbled in such things before but if magic was a reality here, I wouldn't hesitate to learn as much as I could about it.

I had begun my studies in secret. Using magic was a lot different than using my abilities. However, I'd been gratified to learn that making things float with magic used the same kind of concentration as I already used for making things float before. I found it easy to make things happen but I was very careful not to do anything too big just yet. Some magic drew on life forces. I had also been doing some research into demons of this reality. I found that there was one that was in Los Angeles that had a bit of knowledge about jumping dimensions. I had put in for time off for the next few days to go there and meet him. I was actually due to leave for the bus station in a few hours. I'd told Rupert and the others that I was taking a little bit of time to see an old friend who was going to take me shopping for some things that were going to be their early baby shower gift to me. It was a total lie but it was necessary.

When I finally boarded my bus at the appointed time, duffle bag slung over my shoulder, there were plenty of people who were more than willing to stow it above my seat for me. And I was happy I could get an aisle seat, so I could run to the bathroom whenever I needed to at the back of the bus. The ride was several hours long and very boring. I read from the ancient tome I'd snuck away from Rupert, trying to make heads or tails of what I'd translated so far, which wasn't much. I hoped that they wouldn't need this particular volume while I was gone. When it was time to disembark, people were out of my way very quickly and I was amongst the first to step onto the pavement.

It was night and the streets were likely very dangerous. I passed many people as I used a map of the local area to make my way to the address this demon resided in. The closer I got to my quarry, the stranger people looked. I realized after a moment that these must be demons, too. There were some that had horns, some that had liquid paper white skin and some that I wouldn't be able to adequately describe. They were just too bizarre. When I arrived at the address, I was a bit surprised that it was a bar. Going inside, I learned it was a karaoke bar. I blinked at some creature that was oozing some sort of bodily fluid as it sang a rendition of 'You Light Up My Life' that made my head ache from the shrillness of its voice. I went to the bar and sat down. I had to give up my duffle at the door to a blue creature. I wasn't allowed to have weapons in here.

When the oozing thing was done singing, a smattering of applause were heard and then a green demon with a very snazzy looking suit and bright red lips, red eyes and two small red horns coming from its forehead hopped on stage. I was quite surprised at the choice in hair color for him: blond.

"Thank you Grlaporg, the Snuzigaff! That was an amazing performance, truly! Next, we have Freddy Furlong. This vampire enjoys long walks on the beach and snacking in the moonlight. And, it looks like he also loves Pina Coladas! Give him a hand, everybody!" he hopped back off the stage, handing the microphone to a very thin male vampire that had blue eyes and had dyed his hair blue. He looked like he was trying too hard to be emo. He began to sing and I turned my head to the bartender.

"Do you guys have blood?" I questioned uncertainly. If they were serving demons and vampires, I would have guessed the answer to that was yes, but I had never seen a place like this. I needed to be sure.

"Yeah. Do you have a type you were looking for?"

"Ah, not usually. I could go for some O negative, though," I replied.

"That'll be $4.50," he pulled out a glass and poured blood in from a chilled bag. I raised an eyebrow.

"What does A negative cost?" I asked curiously as I pulled out a five dollar bill and put it on the counter.

"$2.00."

"You guys must be in short supply, huh?"

"Everyone is. O negative is one of the less common blood types."

"I know that. I just think I'll be filling up before I come in here next time and maybe just get a water. Unless you're going to charge an arm and a leg for that."

"Nope, we don't charge for that. Yet. Give us time," he joked. I gave a real laugh at that. I could feel quite a few kicks for that in the direction of my kidneys for the trouble. The green demon I'd seen earlier came to the bar to look at me. He had one eyebrow raised as he looked me up and down before he turned to the bartender.

"The next two drinks are on the house for this little lady. She's drinking for more than one, you know," he winked. The bartender laughed and nodded. I was pleased that I wouldn't have to pay for my next glass of blood. I had sucked down the first one with a vengeance. I wasn't able to take anything with me from my stash at home. He turned to me. "Are you going to sing tonight?"

"I wasn't planning on it. I was looking to find a specific demon. He's had some… experience with crossing dimensions. I wanted to discuss the subject, if I could find him. All I got was an address," I replied.

"Well, you found me," he smiled, his very pointed, curved nose blocking it slightly. "I'm the Host. Welcome to Caritas."

I was a tad embarrassed. "You called your club 'mercy?'" I asked.

"Pretty and smart. I like it. Come on, sweetie, I can't help you unless you use your pipes," he made a grand gesture to the stage while he got a martini of some kind. The vampire with the blue hair was butchering the last bars of the song. I raised an eyebrow and then nodded, holding up a hand to stop him before he went to make the announcement.

"I want to sing a song not on your list, though. If you have a piano, I want to play it myself."

"Not a problem," he nodded and grinned. "What's your name?"

"Daenerys," I replied. I didn't want to go too deep into it. He muttered my name to himself once before stepping up to the stage and helping Freddy close the song. I might be doing the world a favor by staking him when I leave, if only to keep others from suffering his voice again. The blue curtains that covered up the background of the stage pulled back to reveal the piano I requested as the Host introduced me. I finished off the rest of the blood in my glass and then smiled as I sat at the bench. I tested the keys and was satisfied that it was well tuned. I'd learned to play after coming to be in Lucian's army. I already knew how to sing before that but now I was able to make music too. I cleared my throat a little before beginning to play one of my favorite Adele songs, though I had no idea if she existed in this reality. This would be something they'd never heard before.

"I heard… that you're settled down, that you… found a girl and you're… married now.

I heard that your dreams came true. Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.

Old friend, why are you so shy? Ain't like you to hold back, or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited but I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you! I wish nothing but the best for you, too!

Don't forget me, I beg! I remember you said, 'Sometimes it lasts in love,

But sometimes it hurts instead.'

You know how the time flies, only yesterday was the time of our lives.

We were born and raised in a summer haze, bound by the surprise of our glory days.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited but I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you! I wish nothing but the best for you, too!

Don't forget me, I beg! I remember you said, 'Sometimes it lasts in love,

But sometimes it hurts instead.'

Nothing compares, no worries or cares. Regrets and mistakes, they are memories made.

Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like you! I wish nothing but the best for you.

Don't forget me, I beg! I remember you said, 'Sometimes it lasts in love,

But sometimes it hurts instead.'

Never mind, I'll find someone like you! I wish nothing but the best for you, too!

Don't forget me, I beg! I remember you said, 'Sometimes it lasts in love,

But sometimes it hurts instead.'

Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead…" I finished off the song with my eyes closed. I was an alto, so I sounded pretty darn close to Adele at times. I prayed I did the song justice. I didn't hear applause at first, so I opened my eyes. Every single human and demon was staring at me with wide eyes. When the applause did come, I heard some wolf whistles and I'm pretty sure that some of them came from some kind of wolf creature I saw in the corner. I stood up awkwardly and left the stage, looking for the Host. He was by the bar, popping several aspirin and looking at me with a pained expression. One of the employees of the establishment stepped in after a moment of having an empty stage and announced that there was going to be a brief recess for the Host while he spoke with me and that regular music would be played for a little bit before he returned. There were some protests and growls that went up into the air. _What did I do?_ I wondered.

"Danni girl, you pack quite a punch. And the kids do, too," he groaned as he bade me to follow him. We went to his office and he locked the door before sitting down behind his desk. He didn't seem to know where to start but eventually found a place.

"You have a destiny," he began. He was all business; I could tell that this wasn't his usual tone with people. "A destiny that is so important that your entire bloodline was removed from its proper universe, this one, over a thousand years ago. You are the product of a convergence of bloodlines that, after all this time, came back together when you were born. You have an older sibling but she doesn't share your mother. She's from your father's previous marriage."

That took me by surprise. I'd never known that my father was previously married or the woman I called sister was only my half-sister. I had never even suspected.

"She wasn't chosen for this mission because she couldn't carry it on. You could."

"What mission?" I asked in confusion.

"You are meant to finish what your ancestors started. You are the only living descendant of a Slayer and her husband, the only husband there has ever been to a Slayer in all of time. Your ancestors were twins, one brother and one sister. They were separated at a young age and grew up with pieces to an ancient relic that was never meant to be separated. They vowed that they would come together at some point in the future to complete the task their mother had died never completing. They grew up and married. They passed their pieces down through the generations with the story that they were to one day unite with a distant relative to complete the mission. It never happened.

"Your father received the pendant from his mother and your mother received the hood from the cloak from her mother but they never put two and two together until the eve of your twenty-third birthday. They realized what you were meant to do but they couldn't tell you until you turned of age. They sent the necklace and the hood ahead of schedule so that you would have it and then you could carry out the mission. That's why you travel dimensions. That's why you get pulled from one reality to the next. But now, you should be pulled back to this dimension after each trip. Time passes more slowly in this dimension than in the others. The one where you obtained your… current condition, time passes only slightly faster there," he finished. He looked exhausted.

"How much faster? What about if I wanted to pull someone from their dimension to ours?" I questioned quietly, a hand on my belly. I was stunned by all the information I was receiving. I was descended from a Slayer? The _same_ Slayer on both sides of the family? The only thing that made that statement okay for me was that a thousand years and who knows how many generations had passed to separate them and make it a negligible fact. Most people didn't realize that they were related to everyone else around them in some fashion or another.

"I'm not sure. It would be tricky. The pendant and the hood allow for the wearer to have safe passage from one realm to another. The reality you are thinking of is kind of tough to pull someone from in the first place. It's not impossible, though," he began scribbling something on a pad of paper and then handed it to me. "Go to these two tonight. Don't wait because they won't be around tomorrow. They'll require something very serious in return for this. Don't under estimate them. Listen to their specific words they use in making a bargain. Choose your words carefully and they will too."

I stared at the address on the paper and the names he'd scribbled. I looked at him and he gave a charming smile. Then a thought occurred to me and I looked at the green demon. "How do you know all this? How was it that my ancestors were transplanted from this universe to the one I grew up in?"

"I just read what I see in your aura and this all came flooding out as soon as you sang the first note. As for how the transplant took place? I have no idea. There was probably magic involved. I would guess that the Slayer activated the pendant and hood and then let go before she could be pulled in with the kids. I'm just here to tell you what I see, and if you want to bring lover boy over from the Underworld, you have to hurry. Those witches won't be there for much longer."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this," I said as I stood up and clutched the address to my chest. I got my bag from the check and turned to the bartender. "I'll be back for that last free drink."

* * *

The address wasn't too hard to find. I arrived to find a rather worn out door and what looked like an old man standing guard. His eyes were an unusual shade of vibrant green-blue. He didn't stop me, just pointed at the door. He somehow knew what I was here for. Stepping inside, there were all sorts of odd things lying about. I could see artifacts from ancient times and I could also see some stereotypical items, such as eye of newt and wing of bat in jars or hanging from a bit of string. In the middle of the room were two women. I could feel the power radiating off of them. They were perhaps in their mid-thirties and one had brown hair the other had striking white hair.

"You come to us for a service," the white haired witch stated. They must have been expecting me.

"Yes."

"What is it that you seek?" the brunette asked.

"I seek to bring my lover to this world. He is called Lucian," I decided to keep information simple. I didn't want to ignore the advice that the Host had given me.

"A price is needed," the white one nodded.

"A price must be paid," the brunette agreed. They turned to me. "We require that you bring two Ktarriian Eggs. Two lives must be brought before us. This is our price."

"Where will I find the eggs?" I asked. I was sorely confused now. I'd never heard of Ktarriians, though I suspected that they were a breed of demon.

"Go to the underground. You will find what you seek there. Return before the dawn and we will fulfill your desire," the white one responded. I decided I didn't like these two witches. They were cryptic and now I was sure that I needed these two Ktarriian eggs and at least two other people to bring before them. I was listening to their words carefully, so that's what I took away. If I was wrong, so be it. I left the address and thought about what they had said.

"Go to the underground. Now, is that in reference to the subway or to the sewers?" I wondered out loud. I wouldn't have time to check both. Dawn was a few hours away. I decided to go back to Caritas. Even if I didn't sing, I could still get some information.

When I arrived, I checked my bag again and found the Host was speaking to another customer who'd just vacated the stage. I waited patiently for him and he noticed me. When he was finished with the customer, he came over to me. I smiled apologetically. I don't think he expected to see me back so quickly. I'd only been gone about an hour.

"I was hoping you'd have some information I could use to get what they want for payment," I started. "I won't be singing unless I need to, I promise."

"Okay, sweet cheeks. What are you looking for?"

"I need to find where a Ktarriian demon is nesting right now so I can get two eggs from its nest."

"Oh, that's gross. Ktarriian demons like to nest underground, in sewers. The smellier, the better. I have a friend here who might be able to take you to the nearest one over here. Give me a minute to see if he's free to do it."

 _Well, that's very fortuitous,_ I thought. I watched him walk over to one of his patrons and point to me. He laughed and was turning up the charm for the male demon with a third eye and pointed ears. I noted that other than the eye and the ears, he looked completely human. He turned to me and all three eyes were narrowed. That was uncomfortable to see. He nodded, finished his drink and then followed the Host back to me.

"This is Reeger. He's going to lead you to a nest that's about a mile and a half west of here. He's going to help you get three eggs. He's taking one as payment for his help," the green demon introduced us. I gave a small smile and he just stared at me evenly in return.

"Well, Reeger. Lead the way. I'm right behind you."

* * *

When my companion and I left the sewer, I was very irritable and disgusted. I carefully pulled another pair of pants out of my bag, being sure not to disturb the two eggs now in there. I stripped off the pair I was wearing and rolled them into a ball before putting them into the bag as well. I didn't need demon blood making me look bad. Reeger had several nasty gashes on his chest and arms from where the mother of the eggs we'd stolen had tried to peck his heart out and tear his arms off. Reeger had decapitated it with his bare hands and gotten blood all over my pants. I'd stayed on the sidelines, only stepping in to grab the three eggs. I had already given Reeger his payment and he nodded at me silently before walking away. I hadn't heard a single word out of him, not even after we had left Caritas. He wasn't the chatty type so I respected his desire for silence.

I had one part completed. Now, for the hard part. I found myself wandering the streets of Los Angeles for an hour before the first contestant showed his face. He was a man that was dressed like he was ready to party. He pulled a switchblade knife and held it to my throat as he tried to take my bag. With just a flick of my finger, he was up against a wall, pinned to the spot. I used a fallen brick to knock him unconscious. I then raised his body up high enough over the street that he wouldn't cast a shadow from the few lights that were on and walked with him like he was my personal balloon on an invisible string. When the next guy tried something, he was a little more subtle at first. I let him think that he was herding me to where he wanted before he started threatening to hurt me. I knocked him flat on his ass before knocking him out and sending him up high to float with his new buddy.

When I made it back to the witches, dawn was only an hour away. They were pleased that I'd brought two men and two eggs. Then they got down to business. They set up a cauldron and set fire to the log they placed beneath it. Of the ingredients they poured into the cauldron, the eggs were the last to go. They chanted and writhed before me. One of the men I'd brought started to stir and the white haired witch grabbed my hand and pulled me over to him. She handed me an ornate dagger and as she changed, she made a motion with her hand indicating that I was to slit his throat. I didn't even blink twice as I killed this stranger. She used a goblet to catch his blood before pointing at the other man I'd brought. I slit his throat and she caught some of his blood in the same cup. She dropped a few drops into the cauldron and I could hear it sizzling. They both dipped their hands into the blood and used it to paint symbols on their bodies before handing it to me. They used a ladle to pour a small bit of the potion into the blood.

"Drink this and Lucian will appear here from the Underworld. He will appear in the place where the fabric of this world is the weakest," the brunette witch cried.

"He will appear or he will be brought here?" I asked. I needed clarification. If he would just appear, he may not be here in body.

"He will become a part of this world as much as you or I. He will live here and when he dies, he will still remain. Now, drink!" she responded. He would appear where the fabric between worlds was at its weakest. I prayed that she meant Sunnydale and I downed the whole goblet. The taste of the other ingredients was horrible. I wanted to gag but I kept myself in control. Wind passed through the building when no windows were opened. The fire beneath the cauldron flared high and then went out completely. The room was silent.

"It is done," the white one said quietly. I set the goblet on a nearby table and nodded my thanks. I couldn't speak, I was sure I would puke if I did. I stepped outside of the building and headed in the direction of the nearest tall building. Screw waiting at the bus. I was going to fly back to Sunnydale and find Lucian. If he was really here, I needed to get to him quickly and I could get there in far less time if I flew. I pulled out a thick coat from my bag and a pair of sunglasses as soon as I got up to the top of the building. I bundled up tightly and then I took off. I hadn't done this in months, so it was a bit rocky at first. When I got myself back into a good orientation, I began to speed across the sky. Dawn was approaching.

I made very good time. I congratulated myself on making a several hour trip in just one and a half. It was bright and early out and I found that I needed to set down in the woods so no one would see me. I set down in the same woods I'd emerged from on my first night in this world. I wandered around a little, scenting the air and trying to find something familiar. If the fabric between this world and the next had gone thin, then it would be close to where I arrived. I was sure of it. I drew closer and closer to the road and there, I found it. There were small scorch marks on the grass and trees surrounding the area but there was his scent. _Lucian_.

My eyes changed of their own accord and I followed the scent of my love from that place in the woods to the street. He had turned right and was heading down towards the magic store and a local bar. I followed, wishing I could pick up the speed. I scented that he went towards the bar and when he couldn't get in there, it being closed, he turned towards the mall. I smiled. There would be woods behind there that he would probably want to stay in for a while, just observing. That was his way, to observe for a while before getting into things. My eyes returned to normal and I wandered through the woods for perhaps an hour or two before I found him. He'd climbed a tree and was looking to the horizon with narrowed eyes. His jacket seemed more tattered and his face seemed paler than I was used to. _What happened?_

"Lucian." I didn't need to shout. He could hear me from up there easily. His head snapped around, looking for the one who called his name. He dropped down to the ground and landed right in front of me. When he rose up, his eyes, which had been guarded, softened. His entire face and demeanor changed. His hands cupped my cheeks shakily, as if I would disappear if he moved too quickly.

"Dae…?" he asked quietly. I smiled and he kissed me roughly, deeply. I wanted to swoon but held myself in check. When he let us both up for air, he looked down at my large belly and gave me a questioning look. I could tell that he was entirely confused. I wondered if my dream all those weeks ago was real. "You've moved on."

"No, I haven't," I said quickly, rejecting his statement. "How long has it been since you last saw me?"

"Five years," he said evenly, moving back from me. I shook my head. _Time moves only_ slightly _faster there, huh?_

"You've been brought to the world I was taken to, Lucian. Time moves differently here. For me, it's been only a few months since I last saw you," I explained gently. I stepped forward and took his hand, placing it on a spot I know one of the babies kicked often. "I never moved on Lucian, because I've been gone only a few months. And I've been bearing your children."

"Children?" he breathed. I nodded. I guessed then that the dream I'd had might have been only in my head. He tore his eyes from me and knelt down before me, staring at where his hand was on my flesh. Then I felt it, _we_ felt it. A kick in that spot. A gasp of awe left his mouth and he turned his eyes back to me. Unshed tears glistened there. He turned his attention to my belly again and laid reverent kisses on the flesh he exposed when he pulled my shirt up slightly. "Children?"

"It's triplets," I answered softly, my hands running through his hair. "We're having triplets. Two girls and a boy, if the ultrasounds are right. They're due in just a few more weeks."

He looked up to me from his kneeling position with eyes I'd never seen before. They were full of hope. I think it was a feeling that he'd dared not allow himself to hold since before Sonja's death. It took me a second but I knelt down to him so that we were face to face again. He leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes, a single tear escaping and getting absorbed by his facial hair. When he spoke again, it wasn't a question. It was confident, happy. "Children, Dae."

"Yes. We're safe here, Lucian. There are none like us here. No Lycans that I've seen and the vampires here are laughable. You pierce their heart with a thin piece of wood and they turn to dust. We can raise our children in peace," I whispered and he pulled me into a crushing kiss. When he pulled back, he had turned serious again and was looking about the woods with a critical eye.

"We need to find a place to go, then," he said as he helped me to stand. I put a calming hand on his chest.

"We have a place to go. I've found a job at the local high school library to start off and I've arranged to move into an apartment that is large enough for the five of us. I took some time off of work and told people that I had a friend who wanted to buy me some gifts as an early baby shower present. Everyone here thinks I lost everything in a fire, including you. We need to get you some false identification. I'll tell people that you thought you lost me in the fire and that my old friend saw you a few days ago and wanted to give me a good surprise," I explained as we headed out of the woods. My girth was making it difficult for me to navigate the roots and bushes that kept snagging my feet and clothes. Lucian swept me off my feet and I yelped in surprise. I wasn't expecting that at all.

He carried me out of the woods and then gently set me on my feet. I led him to my apartment and he wasn't at all surprised by how little was there. We had made less than what I had work in the past. He saw my swords and a smile came to his face. He knew I preferred blades to guns and it amused him that I still had these. He went to my fridge and seeing all the blood in there, he grabbed a bag and drained it hungrily. I took one and drank it down myself.

"Do you know if you are able to eat regular food?" I asked softly. He turned to me and shook his head.

"I can't eat anything. I can drink some liquids if they are mixed with blood but nothing else aside from that."

"What do you know of the night I disappeared?" I wanted to know what he knew before I just started telling him.

"I fought against Marcus and lost. You were taken prisoner. Alexander Corvinus died after giving Selene some of his blood to help her defeat his sons. Michael and I were loaded into a helicopter while we were down and that we were both given a little bit of blood to rejuvenate our bodies. Selene and Michael killed Marcus and William just as I woke to you being pulled into some black hole."

"What Selene couldn't have known, what Alexander Corvinus probably neglected to tell her was that I, too, drank his blood. I was wounded and couldn't stop Marcus either. I drank several mouthfuls of Corvinus' blood when it spilled onto the floor because I hoped I could regain my strength and fight back. Marcus wounded me further and then took me with him for his own… entertainment," the last word I spat out like a bad taste in my mouth. I had turned away from Lucian, busying myself with folding a blanket I'd left out on the couch. He turned me around quickly, eyes fierce.

"Did he…?" he didn't finish the question because I put a finger over his lips and nodded. The rage that filled his eyes was frightening, though I knew it wasn't directed at me. Of all the things that Lycans did, Lucian was clear on one thing: you don't take a female without her permission. He despised rapists and any among his people that would do such a thing were killed when the deed was discovered. That was one of few things that incurred the death penalty amongst Lycans. We had a sense of honor, a code we lived by under Lucian's rule. We weren't animals. I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him softly. I hadn't felt so warm in months and now that I had his touch, I was burning hot inside and out.

"I want you to make love to me, Lucian," I whispered into his ear as I backed towards the bedroom. He didn't resist and followed me. I needed him to touch me; it was like he was the soothing balm to the pain I'd endured at the hands of Marcus. If he could make love to me, I could move on from what had been done to me in some shape or form. I moved to take off my clothes and he stopped my hands, doing it for me instead. He turned me around so that my back was to him and he unhooked my bra, kissing my shoulder as the strap was moved away. When he got down to my pants, he kissed the top of my belly as he pulled my legs out of their denim casing. When he pulled my panties down, he asked me to sit down and I did.

He pulled off his own clothes, tattered shirt and coat, worn leather pants and combat boots. He sat next to me on the bed and kissed me in earnest. This wasn't like the passionate sex we'd had the few times we were together, or like the slow and quiet lovemaking we'd shared. This was like we were learning each other's bodies again, as if we'd never seen them before. Eventually, he had me lay on my side and as he kissed my shoulder, he laid behind me and gently entered me. He angled my upper body so that we could kiss and I stared into his eyes, panting with every touch and thrust. I tangled my fingers into his hair as pleasure started coiling low in my belly. His hand wandered my body in a gentle caress while the other helped to hold him up in position. His hand would cup the underside of my bump and he'd smooth his thumb back and forth in a comforting gesture.

His pace was slow and gentle and we both reached our climax within a few minutes of each other, I first and then he. He pulled from me and I took a moment to turn my body over so that I could face him completely, throwing a thigh over his. I had his scent all over me now and it made me feel amazing. I was happier than I'd been since arriving. As we lay in bed, I filled him in on everything that had happened since my arrival. I told him what the year was, where we were and who I'd come to make friends with. I told him about the Slayer, vampires, witches and demons that were found here. I told him what the Host had told me about my ancestry and my supposed destiny. I told him that I could eat food, normally, but with the babies, my diet had entirely shifted to blood because it was all I craved any more.

He told me that with Alexander Corvinus gone, humans had quickly discovered vampires and Lycans. Both species were under attack and there were terrible purges that had taken place. Mankind saw us as the monsters under their bed, as a disease that needed wiping out. Selene and Michael were presumed dead. Humans all over the world were taking us out with the silver and UV rounds that we'd used on each other. I asked if this had united vampires and Lycans under one banner but his answer was disheartening. It had made the divide between the two species even worse. It all sounded familiar, like my dream. I told him about it and he shook his head. He'd never had any kind of experience like that.

We didn't make love again until the next morning and I called Rupert afterwards to tell him I was back in town. He filled me in on what was happening at the school. It was a witch causing all the trouble in the cheerleading squad and Buffy was certain that the one doing it had no idea that she was casting spells. I told him that I would just stay out of the whole thing and see him later. He thought that would be a good idea, considering my condition, and told me that I should rest. I agreed.

"Who was that on the phone?" Lucian asked curiously as he came up behind me.

"My colleague at the high school, Rupert Giles. He's the librarian and Buffy's Watcher. I told him that I'd keep him apprised of my location while I was on holiday. He's been kind enough to drive me everywhere I want to go."

"You haven't told them that you can fly?" there was amusement in his tone as he kissed the side of my neck.

"No, I think that would be a bit suspicious. 'Hello, Mr. Watcher of the Slayer. I'm Daenerys and I can fly, levitate objects and do all sorts of wacky things. I'm also a Hybrid of vampires and Lycans from an alternate universe, from which I arrived only a few months ago. How do you do?'" I joked and he grinned against my skin.

"I suppose that would be a bit much for someone who doesn't know you well."

"It was a bit much for you when I told you the truth all those years ago. Do you remember when I told you that I could move things with my mind? You thought I'd gone mad until I showed you what I could do." He chuckled against my shoulder. I leaned back against his chest and reveled in the sensation of him being here. I turned around and sighed. He only had what he'd been brought over in. We needed more clothes. He could walk around naked all he wanted in my apartment, I wouldn't mind at all. But in public, he needed something other than battle-worn shambles. I went to my purse and pulled out some money and handed it to him. He gave me a curious look.

"You need to go and get clothes," I explained. "It'll be odd, but try to get something you can wear in the day light that makes you look less intimidating. And get some swim trunks. We're going to the beach later today."

"The beach?" he asked with curiosity.

"Yes. You look worse than a vampire. And I know you miss being out in the sun. You've never said it but I could always see it in your eyes," I responded, pushing a bit of hair out of his face. He'd stopped wearing it half back and had returned to his natural wild state. I liked it. I leaned forward and closed my eyes as my forehead made contact with his naked chest. I enjoyed listening to his heart beating. I had missed it.

"How do you do it?" he asked quietly as he ran his hands through my hair. His voice was deep and comforting.

"Do what?" I wondered.

"Do this? Start over so completely?"

"This is the third time I've had to do it. The second time, I had you. This time and the first, I had nothing. This time, I had one goal, though."

"What was that?"

"To get back to you. I wanted nothing more than to get back to you," I looked up into his blue eyes and felt like I could drown there. "I've never loved anyone as I've loved you. I don't think I ever will, either."

He pulled my head back to his chest and smoothed my hair back from my face. I could feel him plant a small kiss on my head and I didn't want to move from his arms. He held me like that for a while before he got dressed and went to the mall. I dressed and went to the same place I'd gotten my documents. He was kind enough to give me a slight discount since I'd used him before. I had Lucian's documents in hand by the time he came back with new clothes and some new shoes, though he preferred his combat boots. I didn't mind. When he went through the documents, he raised an eyebrow at the forged marriage certificate.

"Lucian Wolfe?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I told everyone that I was a widow. It makes more sense if you're my husband, whom I thought lost in a fire than a boyfriend who happens to have the same last name as me."

"Very well. But if we are to be married," he said as he approached and wrapped me in his arms, "I would do it properly."

My heart skipped a beat at that and I smiled. He knew I would take that for the proposal that it was. He was a noble man and was the kind who would rather be honorable than not. "I wouldn't have it any other way," I responded. We were interrupted by a knock at the door that I wasn't expecting. I went to see who it was and was surprised to see Rupert. He looked rather distraught and was cleaning his glasses when I invited him in. Lucian was in the kitchen, looking very curious, if not a little over protective.

"Danni, I'm so glad you're home. I was beginning to get concerned when you didn't answer the phone," he stated in relief and then stood up straighter when he saw Lucian. "Oh, you have company. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be a bother. Who is this, if I might ask?"

I was going to have to tell my little lie a little sooner than I expected, it seemed. "Rupert, I'm fine. I was just settling in. Actually, I'm glad you came by. This is a little bit of a surprise but… how do I put this? You remember when I told you that my husband died in that fire I told you about?"

"Yes?"

"Well, this is Lucian Wolfe. My husband. That trip to Los Angeles, my friend was getting me out there to tell me that my husband was alive! He was laid up in the hospital in a coma for all these months. He was a John Doe because they couldn't find any ID on him when they found him," I explained and I could see that Rupert was quite surprised.

"Oh, dear lord… How dreadful for you, thinking you were widowed all this time!" he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I gave him a smile in return. "I'm sorry to intrude on this reunion, then. Everyone at the library was… concerned when we called and couldn't get ahold of you. I thought I'd stop by and make sure that everything was all right with you."

Lucian, being very courteous, stepped forward with his hand out to shake. "I appreciate that you were so concerned about my Dae," he smiled. "I assure you, she is in good hands. We were just so glad to see each other that we spent most of the day out. She was showing me Sunnydale and telling me about her new job with the library at the school."

Rupert grasped Lucian's hand firmly and they shook. I raised an eyebrow when Rupert kept giving a tighter grip on Lucian's hand, who responded in kind. _A pissing contest? Really?_ I clapped my colleague on the shoulder, breaking his stare and he focused on me. I could tell by his tight features that he didn't like this one bit. _Too bad,_ I thought.

"I was hoping to let this stay under wraps for a little longer. Could you do that for me, Rupert? Lucian and I were going to the beach in just a little bit to get some sunshine for this afternoon and I was looking forward to spending more time with the father of my unborn children," I asked him sweetly. He cast a hard look at Lucian before nodding.

"I'm glad you're all right," he told me as I led him back to the door.

"Thanks for checking up on me." I gave a little wave and smiled as I closed the door.

"At least I know he is protective of you," the Hybrid I loved murmured into my ear as he came up behind me. I leaned back into him.

"You both are. But let's get into some swimwear. I plan on laying out in the sun with you this afternoon so that you can get some color in your skin and maybe, we can even go for a swim. I went once a few months ago, before my bump got so big. I haven't been out since. I think I miss the bikini I picked out."

"A bikini? I don't think I've ever seen you in one of those," he responded as we went to the bedroom. I pulled out the two piece I'd been talking about and pulled it on. With my breasts swelling up, my top almost couldn't handle my bosom. I made it work. I pulled a t-shirt and jeans on over everything and waited while he pulled on a black pair of trunks, jeans and a dark shirt. I was surprised when he actually put on flip-flops.

"I don't think I've ever seen you wear those," I retorted with a small smile as I grabbed two beach towels from my linen closet and stuffed them into a beach bag. I grabbed my purse and keys and he took the beach bag from me. I could see Rupert spying from the crack in his door as we left but didn't give any indication of it.

At the beach, there were plenty of women who stared at me in deep jealousy when they saw the lean, attractive man at my side. His long hair and beard made him seem exotic to those who only knew short-haired, clean shaven men. More than once, women came up to him while we lay on our towels, conversing. They would ignore me as if I weren't there and when he refused them, I would get a dirty look. The ones that would make a point of noticing me would ask if his 'sister' would mind him joining them for a bit. I responded to that one with, "I'm not his sister. How the hell do you think I got this pregnant?" That got a laugh out of him more than once.

I'd never seen him this carefree. Knowing that the vampires he was used to doing battle with didn't exist here must have been a terrible weight off his shoulders but I knew he missed our people. We wanted bring freedom and better lives to the Lycans and now they were fending for themselves in the world we'd left behind. We'd talked about it over the course of the previous night. He initially wanted to go back. I told him that if he'd died at the Den, like he would have without me there, the world would have likely gone through this any way. Whatever was happening there now, nothing we could do here would change it. I had faith that Selene and Michael weren't dead. I believed that with every fiber of my being and I told him that.

"I love you," I told him as we stared out to the setting sun. It was getting a little cooler and we'd spent the afternoon sunning and swimming. His flesh had gone from pale to bronze and to me, he looked like a god.

"I love you," he responded. Today was the best day of my long, long life.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 18

The next day, when I left Lucian at my apartment to return to work, I knocked on Rupert's door to see if he was there to give me a ride. If not, that was fine, but I'd come to enjoy our time together, discussing things of interest that he thought, and rightly so, that younger people wouldn't normally be interested in. He looked mildly surprised to see me when he stepped out of his apartment. A smile graced his features and I smiled back.

"Ready to head off to work?" I asked brightly. I had two thermoses of blood packed away in my bag in case I got really thirsty.

"Danni? I thought you still had today off," he stated as he ensured the top lock was in place. I nodded in the affirmative.

"I do, but I thought I'd get back to work and Lucian wants to explore Sunnydale on his own today, anyway. I spent the last few days with him non-stop, I figure that it's time to come up for air. It's Friday, so I still have the whole weekend. Besides, I spoke to the land lord last night and he says that the apartment that became available is almost ready to be moved into. Poor Mr. Bauer's things were going to be chucked in the bin but I got to peek at them and told him that I'd go through what his ex-wife and kid left behind and see if I could use it or sell."

"Does he know about your, ah, husband?" he asked me, turning slightly sour at the mention. I shook my head.

"Not yet. I'll be waiting until after we've moved into the apartment to do that."

"I see."

As we drove to the school, I was struck by how quiet it was. Rupert and I usually enjoyed quite the conversation on the way but it was awkward now.

"Is something wrong?" I asked softly. He glanced over at me and then back to the road. The words burst forth from him in a tidal wave.

"Are you sure this Lucian fellow is really the same man that you married? He doesn't seem… right."

"What do you mean?" I asked patiently. Most people who met Lucian for the first time in our world were quick to notice that he had the demeanor of a general who'd seen too many battles. It was in his posture, his very presence.

"Well, it isn't something I can really put my finger on," he hesitated.

"Lucian was in the Royal Army and was in some very war-torn areas many years ago. We met after that. It's a little funny, actually. I was in Europe, backpacking, and I got lost. He was backpacking with his military buddies and saved me when I was half-starved in the middle of nowhere."

Rupert's demeanor softened a little. "So he's military?"

"Ex-military, but yes. He saved my life and taught me how to survive. He's the one you can thank for my sword and knife fighting skills," I smiled as we pulled up to the school. I'd gotten good at mixing the truth with lies. Rupert had to help me out of the car this time. I was having a really hard time with getting my balance now.

"I'm still not very sure about him," the Watcher said as we walked to the library.

"You don't have to be. I'm sure of him. I know Lucian."

Rupert sighed as he placed his things in his office and I stowed mine away too. A few hours had passed when Xander and Willow carried Buffy through the doors. She was sweating and looked very ill. She had on the uniform of our Sunnydale Razorbacks Cheerleading Squad and black tennis shoes.

"She's collapsed!" Willow cried as Rupert scrambled to get a chair for her. I grabbed a clean rag and grabbed a bottle of water from my mini fridge and soaked it. I handed it to Willow and she began using it to cool the poor girl's forehead.

"What happened?" I asked in confusion. I thought we were dealing with a witch, not a virus.

"She was acting really weird, so we scooped her out of cheerleading practice right after she threw the captain across the room. By mistake," Xander explained. "She was really loopy. We were bringing her here when she started to pass out."

"This is a vengeance spell," Rupert muttered. He looked like he was trying to remember something. "This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. It hits you with a drunken stupor and then it destroys your immune system. The other girls, she was just trying to incapacitate. Buffy..."

"She's trying to kill me because she knows that I know she's a witch," the weakened blond finished. "How long do I have?"

"Well, it could be…" he started.

"Cut the crap, Rupert. You aren't doing her favors by sugarcoating it," I cut him off.

"About three hours, more or less," he responded.

"Can you reverse it?" Buffy asked.

"It we can get to her spell book, I believe so."

"Is there another way to reverse it?" Xander asked, looking very worried.

"You chop the witch's head off."

"I vote yes. Anyone else?" he raised his hand. I slapped him upside the head and he cried out a rather loud 'ow!' in response, giving me a glare.

"Take her and go!" I urged Rupert and he helped the Slayer stand. I went ahead, opening doors for them and opening the car door. It was all I could do without revealing myself. I was worried for the teenager and hoped they could reverse it in time. Returning to the library, Xander and Willow were conversing nervously. I decided to give them an important task. "I need you two to go and find this witch…"

"Amy," Willow supplied helpfully.

"Amy. I need you to find her and keep an eye on her. Don't let her know that you're doing it. I don't know what's really going on since I've been gone, but we can at least keep her from leaving our sights."

"Right. So, no chopping off her head?" Xander confirmed. I just looked at him with narrowed eyes and he nodded. "No chopping. Got it."

I went to my office and downed my thermos. Mr. Flutie came into the library after a few moments and came over to me with a frown on his face.

"Ms. Wolfe, I have been looking for Buffy Summers. I hear that she and a couple other students are spending a lot of time in here. Have you seen her?"

"Oh, I thought she made it onto the cheerleading squad?" I asked in an oblivious tone.

"I understand that she is on the squad but I was told she might be here."

"Well, she does seem to spend a lot of time here, Mr. Flutie. I help her out with studying for the classes she has trouble with. I think she's improving," I beamed. He narrowed his eyes and just looked around the library a bit more before leaving. "I hope you find her, sir!"

I was tired of waiting in the library, so I headed to the gym where things were getting under way for the start of a basketball game. The cheerleading squad was already out and I saw Willow and Xander gazing at a blond at the end of the left side of the row. She looked very happy to be there. _That must be Amy,_ I thought. _She looks familiar… Oh, god! I know her! She and Willow would come into the library all the time a few months ago. She's lost a lot of weight… She was so sweet before. How did she start doing vengeance spells and hurtful magic?_

"So, I hear you're calling our little group the Slayerettes," I started and the two of them jumped. Willow nodded, not taking her eyes off the person we were there to watch.

"Yeah. You know, 'cause Buffy is the Slayer and we don't slay, we just do the research. So, since we're all researchy, we are the Slayerettes," she responded.

"Researchy?" I asked. Xander nodded.

"Yes. Researchy. Don't be so judgey."

I held up my hands in a placating manner. "This is a judge-free zone. No judging done here unless requested."

We watched the cheerleaders carefully while we waited for Rupert to reverse the spell. When they lifted Amy up into the air and she started looking a little disoriented, I knew that there was mojo at work. Then, she fell and although the others on the squad were irritated by her, I saw the rage that filled her face as she got up and ran out. Xander and Willow followed. I was there a moment after. Willow decided to be the distraction, hoping Xander would be able to knock her out or something.

"Hey, Amy. You know, I can help you with the witch thing."

"Really. How can you help me?" Amy's eyes were narrowed and she tilted her head.

"Well, I can help with the cauldron thing. And, you know, do you really ride on a broomstick?" the redhead asked nervously. The witch turned around before Xander could get any closer and used magic to choke him until he was unconscious. Then she turned and punched Willow in the face. I came around the corner and checked Xander's pulse. It was strong, thankfully. Amy smirked at me before continuing towards the science lab.

"Hey! Witch Bitch!" I cried. She turned and looked at me with an irritated face.

"What? Are you going to give birth at me?" she sneered. My eyes flashed to blue on black and my mouth filled with sharp teeth. I snarled at her.

"I can do much worse than that," I growled. She looked slightly surprised but with a wave of her hand, she sent me flying backwards into a bank of lockers. My head made a horrible cracking sound as I went unconscious. When I woke up, I was surrounded by some teachers and students with worried looks on their faces. Amongst them were the little group I'd become associated with. Paramedics entered the scene and came over to me. I was told that I had to stay still and keep laying down. I waved people away from me and kept hands from touching me. My head ached but I felt fine otherwise.

"Ms. Wolfe, you really should lie back down. You took a really nasty fall," Mr. Flutie insisted. I smiled and shook my head.

"I think I'll be all right," I replied and waved away the medical team. I felt a little bit of alarm when I saw Amy standing in the crowd and was only slightly mollified when I saw that Buffy and Rupert were both giving me calming hand gestures. Somehow, she wasn't a threat anymore. After a few more promises that I'd go and get my head checked out, I was asked by Mr. Flutie if I wanted to take my maternity leave early. I think he was just uneasy with having a heavily pregnant woman on campus and didn't want me giving birth in his school. Which, I had to admit, I didn't want that either. I knew what craziness happened here that he didn't. I told him that I'd think about it over the weekend. He told me the date of the baby shower, which was moved up and was now in two weeks. I told him that my husband, whom I'd thought was dead, was alive and would be joining us.

I went back to the library with the Slayerettes, the Slayer, the Watcher and the witch. I shook my head. I was starting to sound like a fantasy novel. When we got there, I rounded on Amy and grabbed her by the arm. "Anyone want to tell me why the homicidal witch isn't in trouble?"

"Her mother did a body swap," Buffy explained, taking my hand gently from the girl's arm. "She decided to relive her glory days and stole Amy's body."

Squinted at her for a moment before shaking my head. "So, it wasn't Amy, it was her mother who'd stolen her body who cast all those spells. So, where's her mother?"

"Well, she tried to cast some spell on Buffy when Giles reversed all of her spells and put her back into her own body but Buffy used a mirror to protect herself and the spell backfired and she disappeared," Willow did a little babbling. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"How long was I out for?" I asked warily.

"Long enough for another student to get Principal Flutie, who called the paramedics," Xander helpfully supplied. I nodded.

"Okay. I can work with this, I think. Flutie wants to know if I will be taking an early maternity leave. I still have another three months to go before these darlings are ready to come out, I hope."

"Don't worry, Danni. We'll figure something out," Buffy smiled. I sighed.

"Okay. So, I guess I'm going home. Rupert, can you drive me?" I asked. He nodded. I went to my office and grabbed my things before we left. When we got to the apartment building, I thanked him and opened my door. My head still ached a bit and I rubbed it around the area that I'd been hit. Lucian was coming out of the bedroom and saw the grimace on my face.

"What happened?" he asked as he came to look at me.

"A witch threw me into some lockers. I just hit my head, I'm fine. The babies are fine, too. I landed on my back," I assured him. He pressed his lips to my forehead and led me to sit at the table. He opened bag and poured the blood into a glass before handing it to me. I was grateful as I sipped it. My headache immediately got better. "On the bright side, you might be seeing more of me than expected. My boss asked if I wanted to take an extended maternity leave. Since I'm salaried, it's not like they can dock my pay, but I was hoping to keep working until I was ready."

"Perhaps this is for the best. You shouldn't have been facing off with a witch in the first place."

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered as I took another sip. We were going to run low on blood soon. I would have to take another ride up to the hospital and raid their supply again. Either that or I would have to find someone else who could give me blood in the amounts I needed. It wasn't likely that would happen, but I didn't like stealing from hospitals. It was something that I felt was wrong, entirely. I couldn't help it right now, though. I had to do what must be done. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder and I placed mine over it. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little frustrated. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself here."

"I can understand that," he responded, placing his other hand on my other shoulder. He began to knead the muscles and I closed my eyes as I let him work my tension out. It wasn't long before he picked me up and took me to the bedroom. He'd lit a few candles, likely for his own comfort, before I even got home. Lucian laid me on the bed and had me on my side. He knelt behind me and his hands worked magic on my back. Muscles I didn't even know were tense were massaged until I felt like I was putty in his hands. He massaged my arms, my legs, even my neck. I was falling asleep as he rolled me to my back, placing a pillow at the small of it. I smiled up at him and Lucian smiled back. I felt better than I had all day.

* * *

Nearly a month had passed since the Witch Incident, as we began to call it. Amy was back with her father, I was back to work on the condition that I don't strain myself too much and Buffy had been slaying vampires regularly. Lucian had been introduced to my group of friends and he'd been welcomed with open arms, for the most part. Rupert was still a little chilly towards him. Although I think he bought my story about him being in the military, he didn't voice his concerns about him to me anymore. I could see them in his eyes and demeanor when Lucian was around versus when we were working together. Buffy was a little upset at first when I told her that Lucian knew her secret identity. I explained to her that I have never kept secrets from him and that I never would. Xander was most embarrassed by this fact when it came out he was a virgin when a giant praying mantis creature tried to mate with him. I really hadn't known what to say about that.

Today was a Saturday, so when I woke up, it was nearly 9:30 in the morning. I didn't feel like dealing with rolling back and forth or scooting to get out of bed because of my enormous need to pee, so I floated myself into a standing position and ran to the bathroom. I hadn't woken up the whole night, I was just that relaxed from Lucian's presence. When I went to the kitchen and pulled out my breakfast and drank it, I noticed that Lucian was in the living room with all the furniture pushed out of the way. He was doing pushups, then turned to do sit ups, then turned back to doing pushups. I watched him and admired the gleam that sweat left on his body. His hair was damp from his exertion and when he noticed me, he stopped and stood up. I found the musk from his flesh intoxicating and when he bent to kiss me, I inhaled deeply of it. When he finally pulled away from my lips, I saw the desire there but it would have to wait.

Lately, because he'd had nothing to do and was trying to figure out where he fit into this world, a lot of his time had been spent either preparing the bedrooms of the apartment we'd moved into three weeks ago for the babies or making love to me. I wasn't complaining about the last part, not by a long shot. The bedrooms were also looking amazing. He'd gone to the woods multiple times over the last month and had spent his time carving cribs out of the wood he would find. They were intricately carved and stained. All three cribs were in a single room and that's where the babies would be when they came. The baby shower gifts were all put away and ready for use. There were tons of clothes for the girls and boy, we had about ten million diapers and wipes, two baby monitors and there were stuffed toys all over the room. The room was painted sky blue and, in a surprise I'd not known him capable of, Lucian had painted the fields that had existed just outside the Keep with the two of us standing in the middle, holding hands. He'd painted me in a flowing white gown and himself as a knight in armor. I'd cried a little at that, I'll admit. It was beautiful.

When we invited the Slayerettes over for a housewarming party, Rupert had been a little stiff the whole evening about pretty much everything until I showed him the nursery. When I told him that all the work done in there was Lucian's handiwork, he seemed to deflate a little. It was like, until that moment, he was trying to find something wrong with him, some fault I could be unaware of. I thought it was sweet that the older man had invested so much in me in so little time. I had kissed him on the cheek and assured him that I was touched by his sentiments. The rest of the evening went off without a hitch.

Today, as I pressed a small kiss on Lucian's cheek and moved away, I knew that there was something else we needed to do. I went to the bedroom and pulled out some clothes for myself to change into after my brief shower and he followed. We kissed as we washed each other but I rebuffed further advances. When we dressed, I asked him to come with me on an errand. Today was special. Today was something I'd been looking forward to since Lucian had arrived. As we walked to the hospital, where my appointment was, I'm sure he thought we were going to raid their blood supplies again, which was part of the plan. But there was something else we were going to do first.

I checked in with the nurse and we sat in the waiting room until my name was called. When we went into the room, I laid down on the bed and Lucian watched me curiously as I lifted my shirt. A female technician I recognized from previous appointments came into the room and showed her surprise when she saw Lucian.

"Kara, how are you today?" I asked pleasantly. She smiled, casting a curious glance at my companion.

"I'm great. My kids love that recipe you gave me last time, thank you so much for it! Who's this handsome devil?" she replied.

"This is Lucian, my husband. He's the father," I answered.

"I thought he died in the fire?" she asked with confusion.

"So did I, but it turns out he was in the hospital. Coma. He had no ID on him, so he was a John Doe," I recited the lie perfectly. Lucian politely held out his hand.

"How do you do?" Kara was instantly charmed by his accent and warm tone.

"Quite well, thank you," she breathed and then gave me an approving wink. Then she got to work, turning on the machine and squirting my belly with the cold gel on the tray. When the machine was ready, she placed the wand on the gel and started moving it around. I watched Lucian's face as Kara found one of the babies and marked it on the screen as 'baby boy.' Pointing to a part that was moving rapidly on the screen, she turned and looked at us. "There's baby boy's heartbeat. Everything there is looking good, I'd say. Let's see if we can find the girls."

It took her a few moments but she found a good angle for the girls and pointed them out, one at a time. I'd found Lucian's hand and looked up to his face as he stood riveted to the spot. He didn't tear his eyes from the screen for even a second. The look on his face was not easy to describe. It was wonder, love, heartbreak and joy. He was astounded that he was getting to see his children before they were in his arms and it rocked him to the core. When Kara left the room to give us some privacy with the images she'd printed out, he pressed his fingers across the glossy paper with such tenderness. Then he turned to me and kissed me with gentle lips. I could feel tears that had been in his eyes wetting my cheeks. I knew this would be an emotional trip for both of us. My own heart was exploding with love and joy. Love for the children and joy that Lucian would be here with me to raise them. I wasn't sure I could do this without him and now I wouldn't have to.

When we left the hospital, we had our ultrasound pictures and our stolen blood. Getting back to the apartment, as soon as the blood was in the fridge, Lucian pressed me against the wall and kissed me. His lips conveyed every emotion he couldn't verbalize. I ran my fingers across his chest and gripped the shirt he was wearing. He still wore button down shirts, this one being a dark blue, and jeans. He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. Our lovemaking was wordless. His grip was nearly bruising on my hips and his pace was punishing. Our eyes shared an intensity I hadn't known we were capable of. When he climaxed first, he groaned and continued pounding into me. I was driven to near madness when his thumb slipped between my thighs and began to massage me there. Stars burst before my eyes and my hands became locked around his forearms for a moment as pleasure ripped through me. When I came down from those dizzying heights, I realized that my nails had pierced his skin and I pulled his arms down to lap at the blood that remained, though the wounds were already gone.

He laid beside me and pushed some of my hair from my face. His hair was always wild around his shoulders and I loved running it between my fingers in my post-coital bliss. We stared at each other for a long time, just touching the other's body and exploring flesh. We forgot about the past, the present, the future. When we came back to reality, I decided to remain naked. My breasts were becoming very painful as the pregnancy came to a close. Two more months.

* * *

When Monday rolled around and I was at the library with Buffy and Rupert, we were researching a ring that he'd collected after Buffy had killed a vampire in the cemetery. Buffy was more observant than she wanted people to know and proved it when she caught something that Rupert missed. Then she became a teenage girl again when Owen, a quiet and towering boy, came in looking for Emily Dickenson. I shook my head and hid a smile. The girl may be the all-powerful Slayer, but she was just as boy crazy as any girl I'd ever seen in my life. I included myself in that assessment.

I left Rupert to figure out the ring and instead, focused on the tome that I'd snuck away previously. I brought it back and had discovered that no one had missed it. I was sort of grateful for that. I had discussed it and worried over it with Lucian and we'd decided to tread carefully. I would broach the subject with Rupert and give him the impression that I didn't know what was going on; I'd tell him I'd been dreaming of these items. Today was as good as any day to do it, I had supposed. We never know what kind of things will pop up at any time. It was a short while later that I waddled, and I do mean _waddled_ , into his office with the book.

"Rupert? What's this?" I asked quietly. He put down his book and came to see what I was pointing at. He mumbled under his breath as he read from the pages I indicated.

"This is a prophecy about a Slayer of old," he was about to move away when I caught his hand. He looked at me in confusion. "What is it?"

"I know the symbols on that hood. I know them," I told him quietly. He frowned.

"How do you know them?" he asked in a low voice. I could tell I had his full attention.

"I have dreams about this hood, except it isn't on a cloak anymore, it's just an old piece of cloth with strange writing on it. I dream about it with a necklace, a pendant that looks like a ruby sun shining down on a diamond and sapphire crescent moon. It haunts me every once in a while, torments me in my dreams," I sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

"Good lord… This is a prophecy about a Slayer and you are dreaming about it?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What is the prophecy about?" I asked as I stared at him from my seat. He took a seat across from me and had a grim expression. He took the book from me and read the text that I was unable to read.

"The prophecy is in regards to a mission that went unfulfilled by a Slayer in the fourth century. She was meant to carry out certain feats of power in order to bring about a unification of some sort. Some of these translations may be a bit off but it speaks of bringing the _Ultima Fiul cer Sange,_ or the Last Son of the Red Skies to the _Palatúl de Sange Soarelúi_ , the Palace of the Red Sun. According to this text, by bringing this person to this sanctuary, the Slayer would be given a great power in order to defeat some kind of ultimate evil."

"You said that this mission went unfulfilled?"

"Yes. In the summers just before the turn of the fourth century, she and her Watcher disappeared with the cloak and a pendant that was being used to help the Slayer of that time to see the trials through. It would transport her and her Watcher to the places where her trials would take place and then take them back to where they began," he read from the book. "According to this, they were found many years later. There was evidence that the Watcher had… oh, dear…" Rupert looked a little embarrassed. "The Watcher had an unsanctioned union with his Slayer and she bore two children as a result. She was pregnant with a third child when they caught up to them and as punishment for abandoning their duties, they were put to death to force another Slayer to be called. The third child was stillborn just prior to the execution."

"What about the other two children?" I asked in curiosity.

"They were never found. The Watcher, a Brother Vasska, claimed that they sent the children away. They were twins named Elya and Alexi. Brother Vasska told the Council that the boy was given the hood from the cloak and the girl was given the pendant before they were sent to separate parts of the world to grow up and hide their treasures. He claimed that when they were reunited, only then would a worthy individual be given the two pieces and the prophecy would be fulfilled."

"So, how did the pendant work?" I asked.

"It doesn't say. All it says is that the Slayer and her Watcher were transported to places where they faced trials. It was exhausting and required long rests in between uses. The Slayer was to gather power from these trials so that when she found the Last Son of the Red Skies, she would be able to bring his power here," he took his glasses off and cleaned the lenses before reading the text a little more closely. "How long have you been having these dreams, Danni?"

"A few years. They come and go, twice a year or so," I lied carefully.

"I wonder… what could it mean by worthy individual?" he muttered and grabbed another book. I could see that this was going to trigger him to go into full research mode. I put a hand on his as he went to pick up another book. The surprise on his face, and something else, was strong.

"Rupert, I know that this is something that we want to research further but I think that ring is more important right now. After we figure that out, we can do this, okay?" I spoke softly and with a little smile. He looked torn for but a moment and then straightened up.

"You're quite right," he nodded and then reached for a different book. "Why don't you, ah, go and see what that boy is looking for and I'll get back to this?"

I nodded and looked out to the library to see a scrawny boy with short hair looking around awkwardly. I made my way out of the office and gave him a smile, which only made him blush before he handed me a piece of paper. I scrutinized it carefully and then led him to the books he was looking for. He was doing some research for a biology paper, it appeared. And… Frankenstein. I wondered if he was going to compare the book with real life facts to debunk the theories behind it, as I did in college. This one was one of the smarter kids, as I recalled.

Just as he was leaving the library, I heard Rupert muttering another, 'good lord,' under his breath and put his tweed jacket back on and stride out of the library. _He must have found something on the Order of Aurelius,_ I thought. It wasn't too long before Willow, Buffy and he were back.

"Thank you. Wait, what are you talking about?" I heard Willow ask.

"What are _you_ talking about?" Rupert responded with a frown.

"Boys," the two girls said in unison. I raised an eyebrow. What did he think they were talking about, cooking?

"Well, I'm talking about trouble. Violent and disturbing prophecies are about to be fulfilled."

"The Order of Aurelius," Buffy's voice was even and a frown was beginning to mar her features.

"Yes, you were spot on about the connection. I've looked at the writings of Aurelius himself and he prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed," the Watcher declared as they all walked over to the main table in the room. I waddled over and sat heavily in one of the seats.

"The Anointed? What is he?" I asked.

"He's a warrior for the Master. According to this, he will rise from the ashes of five on the evening of the thousandth day of the advent of Septus. Which is tonight."

"Whoa, wait, tonight? Nope. That doesn't work for me," Buffy stood up from her spot with a hand held up in the air.

"My calculations are precise," Rupert had a look of surprise on his face.

"No, they're bad calculations. Do them again," Buffy responded with a stern look on her face.

"Why are they bad?" I didn't understand something and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Buffy has a really important date tonight," Willow said.

"Owen," the Slayer nodded.

"Oh. All right, I'll just jump into my time machine, go back to the 12th century, and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show," the Watcher replied with heavy sarcasm. I was proud of him.

"Oh, burn," I muttered with a chuckle.

"Okay, at this point, you're abusing sarcasm," Buffy replied, sending a glare my way. I put my hands up defensively and looked away.

"Buffy, this is no ordinary vampire and we have to stop him before he reaches the Master," the Watcher leaned in with narrowed eyes.

"But… cute guy! Post-pubescent fantasies!" she protested.

"I'm afraid those things will just have to wait. Tonight, we go into battle." I couldn't resist. I had to break the tension that was building.

"Anybody got any popcorn?" I asked with innocent eyes. "I'm munching for four, so I'll need the dumpster size bucket."

I received another glare, but this time from Rupert. Buffy and Willow were having a hard time not bursting with laughter at my comment. They left with a smile on their faces at the very least instead of a sulking Slayer and Willow trying to comfort her.

"You know that this is very serious business," the Watcher admonished me as he picked up some books and carried them to his office.

"I know it is," I smiled, "but sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. This was one of those moments."

"Still, we are on the verge of dealing with the dark elements that are aligning against us. We must be prepared."

"We can still be prepared. You were a teenager once, Rupert. I'm sure that you were crazy for the girls and that you did silly things to get noticed by them. Buffy is a teenage girl who has had a crazy, unfair responsibility shoved onto her shoulders. How old were you when you learned you were going to be a watcher?"

"I… I was ten. My father took me aside and told me when I was still just a boy," he responded with a slightly softer voice.

"It was unfair and you wanted to scream it to the world, right? Someone was deciding your life, your destiny and it wasn't you. Imagine how it feels for her. You once told me that Buffy's situation was unique. Normally, girls like her are trained for this life from a very young age. They don't get to know there are other possibilities out there and she was one who fell through the cracks of that system. She's been told her whole life that she can be whoever she wants to be and when this Slayer thing was dropped in her lap, she had her whole world destroyed and then remade," I with the wisdom of someone who knew how that felt, and I did. I hadn't had my destiny spelled out for me. I was still figuring it all out.

Rupert was silent for a moment before he stood up and went to his office. He pulled out a large book and brought it out to the table and laid it in front of me. I couldn't understand the language printed on the cover but I recognized it as the same language as what was on the hood. I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"This is a more complete account of what the hood and the pendant are used for. After we deal with this, ah, Anointed One, I will translate it and we can figure out what is going on with you, yes?"

I stood and hugged him awkwardly. He patted me on the back and then gently pushed me back.

"Yes, well… erm… I have some… Watcher… things to be doing," he stuttered out as he tried to clear his throat. I realized at that moment that Rupert must have feelings for me, beyond that of a friend. It finally clicked why he didn't like Lucian when they first met, why he still doesn't like him but tolerates him when he's around. I really felt bad for the British man as he walked away. He wanted something he couldn't have and he wasn't going to press the issue. I knew that feeling well.

When Rupert drove me home, he ducked into his apartment and then back out with a duffle bag filled with stakes, I imagined, and then drove off with the intent of picking up Buffy at home. I didn't feel the need to get involved. They had it covered. Lucian wasn't there when I entered the apartment, so I changed into more comfortable clothes and sat on the couch. When we'd moved in, Mr. Bauer's things were still here, for the most part. His ex-wife and son had only taken a few items and left the rest for the land lord to do as he pleased. He'd taken my offer and let me decide what to keep and toss. The furniture was much nicer than what I'd had in my place and he'd had a big screen TV in his living room. I opted to keep everything he left behind, minus the football memorabilia and baseball stuff. That was sold to the neighbors for a cool $400. Everything else, we put into a box and gave to charity.

It was the very nice couch I was forced to get up from very awkwardly when a knock came to my door very late that night. I got to the door and Rupert stepped inside with a harried look on his face.

"What's going on?" I asked in surprise.

"The prophecy you had me researching. I-it is very important that you tell me: when you dream of the hood and the pendant, are you wearing them?"

"Yes, they get absorbed into my body and I feel pain and then I wake up, why?" I was very confused now.

"Because only the one who was chosen to fulfill the prophecy is supposed to any connection to them. Danni, what else do you remember from the dreams. Be specific," he was very tense as he asked these questions and I placed a hand on his shoulder in a calming fashion.

"Rupert, it's late and I'm tired. I'm not going to remember everything right now. When we go to work in the morning, I'll be happy to tell you all about the dream. For now, I just want to go to bed," I told him while I directed him to the door. Just as we reached it, Lucian was coming in. He looked a bit surprised but said nothing. "I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, I promise."

"Very well," he sounded a bit deflated but he didn't press the issue. "Good night, Danni."

"Good night, Rupert."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 19

"Everything all right?" Lucian asked. I nodded tiredly. I was getting bigger every day and I was exhausted. I was drinking so much blood that it made my head spin to think of it.

"I told Rupert about my 'dream,'" I said, creating quotations with my hands as I said it. "He must have done some research on it tonight after slaying with Buffy because he was freaking out about how 'only the chosen one for the mission should be dreaming about it!' I almost feel bad about not telling him but I don't want to stress myself out too much before it's time to deliver these little angels."

"Ah, I see," Lucian stepped forward and placed a hand on my stomach. He'd become so gentle over the last few weeks. I think that if he hadn't been raised by the vampires to be what he was, if he hadn't had to fight a war that ravaged god-knows how many lives, he would have been a farmer or something benign. He was going to make a terrific father. His every thought was of keeping his children safe, of making them happy. The only thing that marred our lives were the nightmares that plagued us both. We'd seen our fair share of horrors. More than, in some cases. And he continued to worry about the Lycans. He'd spent nearly his entire life being the leader of a fearsome clan of creatures that had become the stuff of legends. I couldn't hold it against him. But there was nothing that we could do to help them from here.

We went to bed and lay under the covers, holding each other. Lucian was spooning me, one arm draped over my side and one thigh over my hip. We both tended to sleep naked. It was mostly because we felt comfortable doing so. Tonight, he fell asleep sooner than I did and with our fingers entwined, I just listened to his breathing. I wondered where he'd been. It was unusual for me to come home and not have him there but I was glad that he wasn't spending all his time here.

The next morning, Lucian was gone before I woke. Again, that was odd to me but I dismissed it. I got out of bed, went to the bathroom and then showered. I washed my hair while a loofa scrubbed my body. I was really good at multitasking. When I was finally clean I stepped out and stared at my reflection. After a moment, I pulled out a pair of scissors and started cutting my hair. It had been past my rear for so long that I had forgotten that I could look any other way. I decided to go from the one extreme of having long hair to the other. When I was done, I had a curly bob that came just below my ears and bangs over my eyebrows. I got dressed and when I opened the door, Rupert did a double-take at my appearance.

"Danni, you changed your hair," he was quite surprised. I grinned and did a slow turn.

"What do you think?"

"I-it's quite… erm… short. And lovely," he added as we went to the car. I was wearing a sweater dress and leggings and flats and was careful not to let anything snag as I slipped into the tiny car.

"Thank you," I smiled as he put the car into gear.

"Now, about the dreams you've been having…" he began and I braced myself for the coming day.

"It's just as I described to you, Rupert. I dream of the hood and the pendant. They become a part of my body and it's the most excruciating pain. I feel like my arm is being constricted because the hood is in my hand and my chest is burning and freezing at the same time where the pendant touches the skin. And then I wake up."

"And you've been having these dreams for a while?" We were in the school parking lot now. I nodded as I heaved myself from the car.

"Yes, for a couple years now," I responded. We were nearly to the library.

"And nothing has happened?" He was scrutinizing me behind his glasses.

"Nothing that I don't know about," I said carefully.

"I wonder, does it mean that you will be receiving these items soon? If you are descended from the Slayer, what does that mean for you? Does this mean that-that you are receiving visions as Slayers sometimes do?"

I had a feeling he was talking more to himself than to me now and that was fine. I was going to have a difficult time trying to answer some of those questions. I put my things into my office and started working. There were a lot of books to be re-shelved, some overdue notices to send out and a few new books to catalogue. Buffy had come by to confirm that there was nothing going on tonight, though I doubt she would have listened if there had been anything of importance. She was glowing with excitement. When she left, I heard Rupert mutter, "She is the strangest girl," and I couldn't help but to giggle. I could only hope that my children were half as exuberant as the little Slayer. It would make for an interesting family life that was for sure.

It was nearly time to go home and I was packing up my things when I saw Lucian in the library. Now this was interesting. I met him by the counter and he graced me with a kiss that left me breathless. I could tell that his opinion of my change in hairstyle was mixed just from his face. He liked the shorter hair but he missed the great length I'd had before.

"I love the new hair," he murmured in my ear and I hummed as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm glad," I responded, "I needed to do something different. I have lifetimes to grow it back out if I want to."

"I have a surprise for you," he was giving me the smile that I knew to be mischievous.

"Give me a moment and I'll come and see it," I kissed him and went back to my office to grab my purse and thermos. Rupert was giving Lucian his usual look of dislike but smiled when he saw me. I gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile before walking out with Lucian, who immediately swept me off my feet. Today, he was wearing a long-sleeved blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and black pants. He still wore heavy boots. I laughed as he carried me down the hallway of the school, some students openly gawking and others laughing as they saw me. There was one girl, I believe her name was Cordelia, who gave Lucian hungry eyes before giving me a dirty look. I rolled my eyes at the teenager.

When we got outside, I was a little confused when Lucian set me down in the parking lot until he pulled out keys for the van he set me down next to. My eyes widened as I realized the implications. It was a van that looked a lot like the ones my parents had gotten when I was a kid. It was a green Aerostar van that could seat up to seven people in it and it had a small TV in the back seat to keep passengers entertained. The interior was shades of tan and it had the faint odor of a corpse that would have been undetectable to a human nose.

"What is that? And how did you get this?" I asked. He had the grace to look a little sheepish.

"Don't ask," he advised. "All you need to know is that this van is ours and now we will be able to go places that we need to go with the children when they are born."

I peeked into the back of the van again and saw that there were three baby carriers and seats already rigged up. I bit my bottom lip and turned to him with glee in my eyes. We have a _van._ I pulled him down for a kiss and grinned excitedly. Rupert was entering the parking lot when he saw us.

"Oh, you have a new car?" he asked, looking somewhat disappointed. I nodded excitedly.

"Yes! I think that we're going to have a much easier time of getting the kids to doctor's appointments and going places in general," I was unable to hide the excitement in my voice. I was not sure how Lucian did it and I think I didn't want to know. If the smell of death was any indication, there had been a body involved somehow and that didn't thrill me but it didn't bother me either.

"I suppose you won't be needing a ride to work anymore, then." I could see the Watcher's face was a bit sullen and I immediately went to hug him.

"I most certainly will need a ride," I declared in his ear. "I don't have a driver's license and I would miss it if I didn't get to have our morning chats. Besides, we have to be fair to the planet. Global warming, and all that."

"Ah, well, um… yes. We mustn't let global warming become too big of a, ah, problem now," I could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks and moved back a bit to kiss one before I waddled back over to the van and climbed into the passenger side. The seat was all the way back and I had tons of room now but because it was higher off the ground, it was awkward. I let myself float slightly to get in there and made it look I had put forth a great effort. Rupert didn't seem to catch wiser. I watched as he looked away and noticed a newspaper that was lying flat on the ground. He picked it up and seemed to turn pale at the sight of it.

"Oh, dear lord. I was right," he muttered as he stared at the headline.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, last night… Buffy and I were to try and stop the Anointed one from rising but there were no fresh graves in the cemetery. Last night, five people died in a bus accident," he told me as he read through the article. "It doesn't quite fit with the prophecy exactly, but… it may be close enough."

"It sounds to me like you need to grab Buffy, then," I suggested. He nodded absently.

"Yes, I'll do that. Have a good evening, Danni," he was off to his car in a flurry and I shrugged as Lucian climbed into the driver's seat.

"Why did you tell him you don't have a driver's license?" he asked when Rupert was gone and he'd put the van into gear.

"Because he's my friend and I didn't want to see him sad," I responded. "Besides, I've gotten used to being chauffeured around. I think that I want to do a little celebrating at the Bronze. I believe tonight has no cover charge and I'm itching for you to see this place. It's where we stopped the Harvest and I was kind of hoping to test the waters with food and see if I can stomach a muffin. I've missed their muffins…"

"Your wish is my command," he responded and followed my directions to the local spot. I grinned as we came up to the doors. I could hear the band playing inside and I was immediately taken by the melody. I decided to dance first. Lucian followed me to the floor and I found myself swaying with him behind me, his arms wrapped around me just above my middle. We hadn't been dancing for long when I noticed Buffy was there with that boy, Owen. I watched as the two started dancing. The boy looked uncomfortable, like it wasn't something he was used to doing. Then Cordelia, the girl from the school tried to cut in. It didn't go well for her. Then she laid eyes on Lucian and tried to saunter over. All I saw was an insecure girl who was trying to look sexy for a man that didn't fancy her.

"Hello, I'm Cordelia. I saw you at the school today, are you our new security guard?" she was trying to sound sultry.

"Hello, Ms. Chase. Nice to see you outside of school," I greeted her. She had looked right through me when she walked over and I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Oh, hi. I don't know you and I don't care," she gave me a rude look and I stopped dancing and stood up straighter. Although this girl was taller than me, I gave her a look that made her cower slightly.

"Ms. Chase, I know your daddy has a lot of money and you think that alone entitles you to certain things. Be aware of one thing: it doesn't entitle you to having class or intellect, of which I have observed neither coming from you. You mistake me for a student from your school; I'm part of the faculty. You will treat me with the respect I am due, is that understood?" I spoke with an authoritative voice and she backed away.

"Freak out much?" she muttered as she gave me a dirty look.

"Another word and I ask Principal Flutie to give you detention for disrespecting a faculty member," I told her. She opened her mouth to say something more but instead, backed away and went back to her little group of friends who began gossiping like crazy. I'm sure that rumors were being created and would be spread by the morning. I didn't really care. Lucian pressed me against him and I could feel his arousal against my back. I bit my lip to hide a smirk. He loved it when I took charge of things, just as I loved it when he did.

When Cordelia's interest was piqued again, it was because of a dark haired man that walked through the door, with black on black for everything he was wearing. He had his hair spiked up in the front and I was reminded why I didn't like the 90's so much. This hairstyle. Ugh. I had the satisfaction of watching him ignore her before she could even attempt something and he walked straight over to Buffy, who was waiting on Owen to bring her something from the bar. Ah, this must be the elusive Angel I hadn't met yet. Dark, brooding, handsome. Classic kind of looks. I felt Lucian stiffen against me as he was sniffing the air drifting from that direction. I stiffened as well. I could smell it on him, though how it was possible I didn't know. This guy that Buffy said was an ally was a _vampire._ A _freaking_ vampire.

Lucian glanced down at me and I looked up at him in response. The vampires in this universe were fundamentally evil. If this guy was telling Buffy where the bad guys were going to be, I could only theorize that it meant they were he was trying to make trouble we didn't need. I pulled Lucian to a corner where we could watch the exchange without being seen or heard.

"He's a vampire. Should we intervene?" I asked him quietly. I could see the hatred burning in his eyes as he stared at the creature. "Lucian?"

"I haven't faced vampires here yet," he responded but the hard look in his eyes told me that he was more than willing to give it a go. He turned to me, tearing his eyes away from the man. "I will leave it up to you."

"So far, he's been giving Buffy tips and a heads up on coming events. He's the one who told us about the Harvest," I whispered. "But I don't get it. He's supposed to be soulless. Why would he be giving us information that hurts the Master's agenda?"

"I do not know but we need to find the reason."

"I agree. I will not have him bring harm to these people. They've become like family to me and family is everything," I responded fiercely. I was becoming more my old self with that proclamation. I'd spent months getting soft because of my pregnancy. Lucian gave a soft growl in my ear that told me that he agreed. I looked back to the Slayer and saw that Owen had gotten her a muffin and was standing there awkwardly as Willow and Xander had arrived as well. The redhead and the dark haired boy were hugging and the whole thing seemed a bit… strange. I heard a snippet of the conversation over the din. Xander and Willow were here on a date? _What?_

"Hey, I know! Let's go check out the funeral home!"

"Yeah, we saw some people there just a little bit ago," Xander chimed in. I waddled over, my concern and confusion growing by the second. _Rupert mentioned the people dead from the van accident. I swear I saw something on the newspaper he had about a funeral home._

"Wow, fancy seeing you guys here," I butted in with a false smile. The vampire took a look at me and gave a raised brow in response. Then he must have caught our scents because his face flickered between confusion and suspicion. "Are you guys having a little group party or something?"

"Oh, Dan – I mean, Ms. Wolfe! What a nice surprise to see you here!" Willow stammered. "We were just talking about the funeral home. You know, because, funerals! They need to have homes."

"Willow, how nice to see you. Hey, can I talk to you for a minute about that book you borrowed yesterday?" I grabbed her arm and left Lucian there while I got some answers a few feet away. "What's going on?"

"Giles went to Sunnydale Funeral Home to see if those people who died yesterday are going to rise up but there's a lot of vampires there and he's trapped in a room that has barred windows," she told me hurriedly.

"Why didn't he wait for Buffy to go?" I asked her with a bit of incredulity.

"Because Buffy is here on a date," Willow responded.

"Didn't she go on a date last night? After the cemetery?" I asked in confusion.

"No, when she got here, Cordelia was all over Owen."

"Okay, so we need to get Buffy there and fast. Lucian and I will go with you guys. I have a stake in my purse, so I'll be fine," I told her and she was immediately shaking her head with wide eyes.

"Danni, you'll get yourself killed in your condition!" she whispered fearfully.

"I'll have Lucian there to keep me safe. Don't worry, he's the one who taught me everything I know. Besides, we want to have someone watching our backs if Buffy gets busy," I patted her on the shoulder reassuringly before returning to the group.

"You know how you said I'm two different people sometimes? One of them really wants to stay but the other has to go," Buffy was telling Owen. Lucian and I waved at the poor confused boy as we left, too. If Rupert was in trouble, that trumped the weird, helpful, brooding vampire for the moment. We hurried over to the Sunnydale Funeral home and, as we were checking the interior out, discovered that Owen had followed us.

"Wow, this is so cool," he muttered as he looked around, "Do you think we'll get to see a dead body?"

"Possibly several," Buffy muttered worriedly as she looked around. Turning to us before running off, she said, "Keep an eye on him."

"Did I do something wrong?" the tall boy asked in confusion.

"No, she's just checking for guards so we don't get in trouble," Willow supplied. That girl was quick on her feet!

"Good thinking," Owen nodded as he turned down another hallway to explore.

"Good thinking," Xander responded with a nod.

After looking around a bit, Buffy returned and muttered something about finding a room that they couldn't get into trouble in. The others had snooped around a bit and found the office but it was locked. Buffy broke the lock as quietly as she could when she turned the handle on the door and the teenagers piled inside. Buffy, being satisfied that the room was benign, told Willow and Xander to barricade the door.

"We're going after Buffy," I whispered to the two of them. I handed Lucian my stake and we followed the little blond to the preparations room. The smell of formaldehyde was strong and made me want to puke. I found Buffy as she was helping Rupert out of one of the body drawers. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Danni! You shouldn't have come," Rupert panted as he climbed down from the corpse he'd been roomed with briefly. "It's too dangerous in your condition."

"Oh, don't I know it?" Buffy sounded irritated. "She brought Lucian with her on this one."

"Well, Lucian can keep me safe. It's not like Owen can really protect himself," I shrugged. Rupert looked at Buffy with a critical eye.

"You brought your date Slaying? When I agreed that you could have a social life and be a Slayer, I didn't mean at the same time," he scolded.

"Giles, I wasn't trying to bring him. He just came."

"She's right about that, Rupert. We left him at the Bronze and he followed us," I supported the teenager.

"We should be getting back to them. If there are vampires around, the door won't be barricaded for long," Lucian was looking out the door for any danger. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it slightly. I returned the gesture, comforted by it. I'm sure more would have been said but then the sound of glass crashing to the ground and cries of terror sounded out and Buffy was running towards the danger with Rupert, Lucian and I quick to follow. My trying to hide my real nature by acting like a regular pregnant human caused Lucian and I to move a bit more slowly. We entered a room that looked like a crematorium and got there in time to see Rupert on the floor, Owen getting his head smacked pretty badly and Buffy becoming enraged.

"You killed my date," she seemed shocked before she turned to the vampire with determined eyes. "You killed my _date!"_

The ferocity of her fighting was mesmerizing and even Lucian was impressed by her skills and strength. I could tell from his facial expressions. When we saw that Owen was beginning to stir, I felt a little relief that the kid wasn't dead. Willow was about to say something when Xander stopped her. I looked at him and realized that he was giving her the moment to continue the fight to its conclusion. _He sees more than others do,_ I thought. When Rupert stirred and Buffy threw the vampire on the sliding table of the crematorium, the Watcher thrust the table forward into the waiting flames that someone had accidentally hit during the fight. The vampire shrieked in terror and then screamed as it was thrust into the fire. Buffy closed the door and hit the lock. Burned alive. Not a fun way to go.

"Owen!" the little Slayer cried.

"Is the guy gone?" he asked blearily.

"Yeah, we scared him away," she told him as she helped him to stand. He held his head and seemed a little out of it.

"Well, good. Because I would have totally…" he trailed off and Buffy smiled.

"I know you would have. I know this isn't how our date was supposed to go," she hedged.

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping to finish up at the Ben and Jerry's," he agreed.

"We still could," she replied hopefully.

"No, I think I'm just going to go home…" he started to take a step and then stopped, asking, "Which way is home?"

"I'll walk you there," the Slayer declared.

"No, I'll go alone," he replied and swayed a little as he started forward. Xander and Willow jumped in to save the day.

"We'll make sure he gets there," the dark haired boy assured us. I stepped out of the doorway and they passed us by.

"And what about you, Danni?" the little blond rounded on me. I was a little surprised. "You are too pregnant to be coming out on these things anymore. You could get yourself hurt or killed."

"You know what, Buffy? You're right. I could get myself hurt or killed. And I am too pregnant to be doing things like this," I admitted. "But that doesn't negate my need to help the people I care about when there's trouble."

"I get that but no more slaying for now. You're too important to me as a friend and I don't want to see you get hurt. Besides, I want to shower those babies with lots of love and affection when I finally get to meet them," the Slayer grinned at me. I laughed.

* * *

The next morning, I heard that Buffy had told Owen that she just wanted to be friends. Apparently, the boy had thought last night was exhilarating and wanted to go out again. To pick a fight at a bar. The next week passed with her being a bit sulky and the others trying to cheer her up. When they went on a school field trip to the zoo, I hoped she would feel better about the situation. However, things started taking a turn for the weird again just after that trip. Willow came to me in tears only two days later, telling me that Xander had snuffed out their friendship on the basis that he was dropping math, so she was no longer required to be in his life. Buffy was in the library not long after and they both started talking about the boy's weird behavior.

I made it a point to go out to the courtyard and observe this odd behavior myself. There were four teens that were following him around. Two girls and two boys, all of them looking predatory. All of them following Xander's every move. I recognized the behavior instantly. They were a pack and Xander was the Alpha. Behavior like this could manifest in humans from time to time but I'd never seen it so focused. When I went to the library to talk to Rupert about it, he, Willow and Buffy were in full research mode.

"What's all this?" I asked. Willow and Buffy's heads popped up.

"It appears Xander and a few other students are possessed by an animal spirit," Rupert responded.

"An animal spirit? What kind of animal spirit?" I asked as I took a seat.

"A hyena from the looks of things. We're trying to figure out how to reverse this transpossession."

"Have you figured out which is the Alpha?"

"Alpha?" Buffy asked with a frown.

"Many carnivorous pack animals tend to have a pecking order. There's the Alpha and the Beta. The Alpha is the leader of the pack and the Beta is the second in command, of sorts."

"How do you know that, Danni?" Rupert asked curiously.

"I got to study wolf behavior up close and personal for a while," I shrugged and smiled. "Wolves are the ultimate pack mentality. The Alpha is the one in charge and the others fall in line behind him. So, how did you guys figure out that they were possessed?"

"They ate Herbert," Willow responded. I raised my eyebrows at that.

"Herbert? The pig? The one that Principal Flutie was using as our mascot? Oh… I liked him, he was cute," I pouted. Buffy nodded sympathetically.

"I'm going to go and look at the cage. See if I can't figure out where they went," Buffy stood up and headed for the library doors. I decided to join in on the research and after about an hour, Mr. Campbell came in and requested that Rupert and I go to a staff meeting. Though we were confused, he helped me stand up and we went to the faculty room. I settled into an open seat provided by Mr. Craig. Mr. Campbell and a police officer were at the head of the room.

"There's been a… uh… well, terrible accident," Mr. Campbell started. He looked pale and a little green, which I hadn't noticed before. I sat up a little straighter.

"It appears that this afternoon, wild dogs got into Principal Flutie's office and killed him. What was left of his remains was identified by Mr. Campbell here just a short while ago. We are advising the staff to keep themselves alert to the area and to make sure that if you are walking out and about, please be aware of your surroundings. Animal control will be making rounds and they will be looking for the animals that committed this terrible atrocity," the officer broke in. I was stunned by this turn of events. Wild dogs? Rupert and I looked at each other. There were some low mutterings that I heard. The group I'd seen Xander with had been spotted somewhere around Herbert's cage earlier. It sounded like the possessed kids may have eaten Principal Flutie when he confronted them.

"I don't think I've ever been prepared for the whole… boss getting eaten by demon-possessed students thing," I whispered to him as we walked back to the library. He nodded vaguely. I think he was still in shock. So was I, to be honest. Coming into the room, I saw Willow and Buffy talking in hushed tones. I was feeling a bit puckish, so I retreated to my office and sucked down what was in my thermos. When I came out, Rupert and Buffy were getting ready to go and I realized that Xander was in the book cage, unconscious. "What's going on?"

"Buffy and Giles are going to the zoo to see the zoo keeper. He might have more information on how we can fix this," Willow explained. She patted her pocket where the key for the cage was being kept. The Watcher and his Slayer were already out of the room when Willow finished her explanation.

"Are you going to be okay watching him alone? I need to go make a call to Lucian and have him pick me up later if Rupert's going to be gone." The redhead smiled and nodded and I headed to my office to make the call. Once that was done, I made my way to the bathroom just down the hall. My bladder was ready to pop from the pressure it was under.

I was on my way back to the library after a moment of being stuck in the bathroom stall when I saw Willow's terrified face running down the hall. Behind her, Xander and the other four of the pack were following.

"Hide!" I told her as she ran past me. Her hesitation would have put her in jeopardy, so I reached towards the door that she was standing next to and it popped open loudly. She barely had time to register surprise before I used my abilities to force her in and then jammed the door shut behind her. I could hear her crying out on the other side and banging on the door, begging me to run and hide. I turned and faced the pack before me. They seemed surprised by my abilities but unfazed. I let myself float into the air and crooked my finger at them, enticing them to follow as I flew down the hallway. I could hear them yapping at my heels. I passed Buffy and Rupert in the hallway and their stunned faces. Looks like the cat was out of the bag now, at least part of it. Oops?


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_ or _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 20

The group followed me until they reached Buffy and Rupert. Then, Xander's attention was captivated by the Slayer. I let myself touch down just a few feet from where Rupert was standing and Buffy distracted the group by leading them out of the school. When Rupert approached with Willow, who'd broken free from the room I'd shut her in, there was a look of fear and suspicion that I knew wouldn't be abated without explanation.

"How did you do that?" Willow asked with wide eyes. For the moment, it seemed her babbling was not going to be put to good use. Rupert's face was stern as he looked at me. It kind of hurt to see that kind of response but was predictable, at least.

"We will talk about this later," came the Watcher's stiff and quiet voice. "We have bigger things to worry about now. Willow, I need your help in gathering some items and then we are going to the zoo. There are still preparations that need to be made."

He didn't even look at me as he passed me by and Willow's frightened face made my heart break a little. I'd really come to like these people over the last few months and now at least two of them were either scared of me or suspicious. I had no idea what Buffy's reaction was going to be when this was over. They were in and out of the library by the time I made it to the doors, and all I received from them was a single backward glance from the redheaded girl. I was feeling the stress of the moment when I felt something I had not hoped yet to feel as I walked into the library. I sagged against the counter as fluid trickled and dripped from between my thighs and a sort of popping sensation happened in my abdomen twice. My water had broken for the twin girls and the boy. Nervousness gripped me as I slipped in my own mess as I tried to reach for the phone. I dialed the number for home but there was no answer. We didn't have a machine, so I couldn't leave a message and hung up sullenly.

"They're coming," I gasped as the first contraction began to hit me like a wave. I wasn't going to be able to walk to the hospital, nor fly in my current condition. I would have to wait until Lucian either came to get me, which wouldn't be for a while, or until Rupert and the others came back. Either way, I was screwed. This wasn't going to be an easy delivery and as it would be my first, I was likely to experience every facet of the pain that was to come. I couldn't call the hospital for an ambulance. I always tend to shift eyes or teeth when I was in serious pain. If the others came back and I started changing, Buffy might think I was a monster of some sort not in her books and try to kill me.

I pulled myself to my feet and began walking to my office as quickly as I could. I needed to get in there and lock the door for now. Grateful that I'd decided to wear a dress today, I pulled down the tights that encased my legs and the underwear I was wearing so I could use a mirror to gauge how dilated I was. Women in my family tended to have quick births, as evidenced by my mother and her mother before her. Every time labor came upon one of us, the baby was never far behind. I think I was born inside of three hours of my mother's first contraction. I pulled a large hand-held mirror from my desk drawer and a compact mirror from my purse. I had such a large belly that I couldn't possibly just angle the mirror to see what I needed to see. I needed a second mirror for that feat.

I groaned. It was as I feared. I was already three centimeters. At ten, I would be ready to start pushing. I picked up my personal phone and dialed home again. It'd been at least twenty-five minutes, if the clock on the wall was to be believed. After the sixth ring, I hung up again and looked out the blinds of the window that led to the main library. A thin sheen of sweat coated my forehead. Waves of pain as the contractions got closer racked my body. My belly ached with the desire to push but it was not yet the time. When an hour and a half passed, I heard people in the library and dared to look. It was Rupert, Willow, Buffy and Xander. When Rupert slipped a little from the fluid on the floor, he looked around with some confusion until I couldn't hold myself standing anymore and knocked a lamp over on my way to the floor.

There was insistent knocking at the door before there was an audible snap of metal when Buffy broke the lock with just the force of her hand. I was trying to reach the phone so that I could try Lucian again but Buffy was there holding my arm down.

"Who are you?" she demanded, though she didn't get rough with me. She was showing concern for my state but the fact that I could levitate had probably trumped that by a bit.

"I'm Danni," I gasped. "I've never been anyone else, I swear." I cried out in pain as another contraction hit. "I'm just a little bit different, that's all."

"How different?" Rupert asked as he shrugged off his tweed jacket and then whispered something to Willow and Xander that I didn't try to hear. My focus was on the contractions that were getting closer and closer together. He rolled up his sleeves and stared at me.

"A virus," I gasped. I looked at him apologetically. "I lied about the hood and the pendant. I already have them."

"What hood? What pendant?" The Slayer was looking between us in confusion. He obviously hadn't told her.

"My destiny was started for me over five hundred years ago, Rupert. I'm sorry," I choked out as a single tear tried to work its way down my cheek. He helped to get me onto my back and then spread my thighs to see what progress still needed to be made. He was silent as Willow and Xander came back with folded, clean towels from the laundry room. I don't know how I would have liked them to find this stuff out but like this hadn't been what I'd wanted. "Has anyone seen Lucian?"

"I, uh… I think I saw him outside," Xander replied nervously. "I'll go get him."

"Please, I want him here for this. Please?" I begged as another contraction numbed my mind. I could feel my eyes change but I kept them closed. I didn't want to scare anyone or make them want to do anything that would later be regretted.

"You're eight centimeters dilated," Rupert told me quietly. A bottle of water had been handed to him and he used it to wet his hands, to clean them. It wasn't long before I heard running feet and Lucian was there. He was at my side, holding my right hand tightly and the other gracing my forehead with tender fingers.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Buffy asked with some exasperation.

"Where are the hood and pendant?" Rupert asked. I felt I couldn't lie.

"Within me," I whispered. "I received them just before my 23rd birthday. As soon as they were on me, the hood crushed my arm and the pendant burned me. It took me to another world, where I –" A scream ripped from my lips as a new pain tore through me. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

"Oh, dear lord," Rupert whispered and I could smell blood on the air. My blood. I gasped at the sight of Rupert's hands when he withdrew them and they were covered in red. I turned terror-filled eyes to Lucian.

"Get them out! _Get them out!"_ I screamed. More pain flared in my belly and I grabbed Lucian's arm. "CUT THEM OUT OF ME!"

I could see the panic in the eyes of the school children, for that is what they were. Buffy could kill monsters and vampires but this was something she couldn't help with and the look of fear in her eyes told me that she knew it. I turned to Lucian and his eyes held a fear I'd never seen in them before. I leaned upwards towards my desk and pulled open a drawer. Inside, beneath a few papers, my hand found the blade I kept there. It was small but sharp and I thrust it into his hands.

"Dae," he whispered as he grasped the knife. His eyes were filled with horror at what I was begging him to do. Another wave of pain went through me and I pressed the knife to under my belly.

"Do it," I whispered. "Save them."

He moved to between my thighs, Rupert moving over. I bit back the scream that was begging to leave my lips as the knife was drawn across my flesh. Tears forced themselves down my cheeks as I felt him draw the blade over my flesh again, this time inside. He didn't press hard, out of fear that he would harm one of the children. The knife was rendered over my flesh again and again until he cast it aside. I could feel my strength waning as I bled out on my office floor. Lucian's hands delved into my abdomen and when they came out, there was a tiny form moving in his hands. A towel was handed to him and Lucian placed the infant on it before laying it across my bosom. I looked down on the face of my son and could see Lucian's face and eyes in the child. There was a shrill cry from the tiny lips that made my heart leap.

"Liam," I whispered in wonder. The pain was upon me again as Lucian reached inside of me and began to widen the wound so he could see better inside my body. I felt darkness creeping up on the edges of my sight. I had increased my tolerance to agony but I didn't know if I could withstand this for much longer. Another tiny body was liberated and started screaming as soon as it entered the world. I watched dazedly as Buffy was given my first daughter. The Slayer's eyes were wide and obviously unsure of what to do. Lucian was tying off and cutting each cord as he pulled the children from my womb. "Maelys," I named her with a foggy voice. It was my grandmother's name and one that Lucian and I had agreed on. Liam was a name he'd picked. His hands were inside me again and I gasped in agony.

"Come on, Caeryn," I heard Lucian mutter as he spared a glance at my face. I could see the worry for the pain he was causing me. I would bear it. I wouldn't see our children die before they were born. I was permitted a moment of joy as a third body was pulled from me. I felt so tired as I watched him cradle the last babe after tying off the umbilical cord. "It's a girl," he whispered to me. I was able to lift one hand to brush my fingers across the child's cheek. I faintly heard Willow say that there was an ambulance on its way. I drew my eyes to the infant in Buffy's arms and she carefully tilted her arms so that I could see her. They all held so many of Lucian's features. I felt the fear I'd dared not speak for the last months drain from me. I'd been afraid that one of these little angels would be of Marcus's blood. Knowing that they were all of my love's allowed me to sigh and rest a little easier as I felt the burning and freezing of the pendant begin on my chest. Rupert was picking up Liam from my bosom when he noticed the glowing marks appear on the flesh that was bared. Surprise was etched on his face as he looked to mine.

"You will see me again," I whispered to Lucian as the searing pain came through my left arm and a black hole swallowed me up. I heard cries of horror from Xander and Willow and a cry of 'No!' from the Watcher. Lucian cried my name as everything faded away. It was the last thing I heard before I found myself falling through branches in a wooded area and then hit the ground with a sickening wet sound resonating from my belly. I was losing consciousness fast. I had only a moment to realize that wherever I was, it was cold and wet. There was snow falling thickly upon my body and I shivered.

* * *

The moment I awoke, I wished I hadn't. The pain was excruciating and I felt a deep hunger for the blood that would help me to heal but I was too weak to go for it. I looked down to see that my dress, which had been a lovely shade of green, was now dark with blood. Weakly, I reached for the hem to see the ruins of my abdomen. A groan left my lips at the sight that greeted me. Bits of placenta were partially emerged from the wound and I braced myself as I reached in and pulled both of them out with a horrible squelching noise. I was breathless from the pain I felt. I was shivering from the snow that was still falling. The heat of my body had melted some of the tiny flakes and some had begun to stick to my clothes. I was freezing. I was nowhere near dressed properly for winter with snow.

Standing up was no easy task and I bit my lip until it bled to stifle the cry that tried to break free. The snow was soft and I realized that if I wanted to survive, I needed to pack my wound until I could find something to feed on. Agony pulsed through me with every scoop of the white cold stuff I jammed into the wound. I must have lost a lot of blood indeed if I wasn't healing as quickly as I should be. Standing and holding my abdomen to staunch the blood, I gave over to my senses for a moment. My eyes turned blue-on-black and sharp teeth filled my mouth. I could smell an animal nearby. As I sniffed the air, I stumbled into the direction of the boar that snuffled in the brush. It lifted its head and looked in my direction and that's when I shot forward.

My teeth pierced the back of its neck and through the thick hide while it squealed in terror. My lips locked around the wound I made and I sucked every drop I could from the beast. I could feel the wound on my belly beginning to knit back together, my misshapen womb becoming more normal. I drained the beast until there was naught left in its veins. I still hungered, still needed blood to continue healing. I required the blood in the tissues of the beast and as my fingers curved into claws, I tore at the throat of the dead boar with my teeth. I filled my belly with the meat and the blood still in its organs. My face and the rest of the dress I was wearing were covered in blood and gore as I pulled back from the creature I'd just mutilated. I let my body return to a more human appearance and began to inspect the flesh that had just been a terrible wound. My belly was smooth, only a fading red line to mark where I'd been torn open. My strength was slow to return to me, though.

I walked barefoot through the brush, my arms wrapped around my body in a futile attempt to keep warm. I traveled by foot; if I tried to fly in cold weather like this, I risked making my situation worse. When I found a tiny stream that was partially frozen over, I stopped and took the icy water into my cupped hands to sip and wash the blood from my face and the exposed flesh on my chest. A particularly smooth piece of ice showed my reflection and I could see that my lips were becoming a shade of blue that wasn't very flattering. I was shaking even more as I left that stream. The steam that left my mouth was becoming less prominent. _Am I going to freeze to death?_ Can _I freeze to death?_

It was some time before I finally sat down on a rock that was covered in snow. I couldn't move any further. I was shivering so badly that I looked more like I was convulsing. And I was beginning to feel sleepy. _Perhaps I can freeze to death,_ I thought tiredly. _And how terrible it is that I know that's what is happening! At least it won't be something I'll remember…_

* * *

A fire crackled and popped next to my head and I felt something thick and warm covering my shaking body. The smell of meat cooking was thick in the air. A pair of hands checked my cheeks and then rubbed my arms, trying to create friction. My body curled into a fetal position onto my side and my eyes opened to see a man with a thick beard hovering over me. He spoke a language I couldn't understand at all. His voice was deep and the words he spoke sounded rough to my ears. I was tired and started to fall back asleep. It must have been hours later that I woke again. I wasn't shaking as badly anymore. I heard that deep voice and my eyes found the man who'd found me.

"T-thank you," I rasped. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. Okay, so he couldn't understand me either. Just wonderful. He was sitting across from me, stoking the fire and adding branches. As I looked at him, I realized that he was a very short man. His beard was thick and braided and his hair was braided in some places as well. His head was larger and his fingers thicker than I would have expected. I examined my surroundings curiously. The blanket I had on me was made of animal skins sewn together and was wrapped around my whole body. The fire was a couple of feet away and the man across from me was sitting on what looked like a bed roll. He came to my side and spoke his gruff language as he handed me a bit of the cooked meat. I took it with shaking fingers and ate it gratefully. The fat gave the meat a flavor that I hadn't tasted in a long while. My mouth watered and I took another bite. It was fantastic.

I suckled the juices from my fingers and started to feel a bit warmer now. The man nodded to himself and then unfurled his bedroll before dumping more wood on the fire and climbing in. I heard the knicker of a beast behind me and turned to see a pony lashed to a tree. There was a cart it was drawing behind it that was covered in furs and leathers. Looking back to my host, I realized that I was saved by a merchant. He was settling into his bedroll and gave me a nod. I nodded back and curled into the borrowed furs. I would sleep and in the morning, I would figure this place out. I could discover what I was here for and get on with the Destiny that was demanded of me. I would be home in no time. I had no doubts about it.

* * *

Three hundred and fifty years. I was beginning to have my doubts. I often thought back to the day I met the Dwarf Baili. He was a merchant that sold the furs of the animals that his people would cultivate and hunt in the forest just outside Erebor. He had spoken only the Dwarvish language of his people and, as result, was unable to understand me when I spoke what they called the Common Tongue. He was generous enough to swath me in the furs he was taking to a village that was growing into a city called Dale. There were only a few columns of stone there thus far for the first walls and it was a growing city in the truest sense of the words. Although Baili's journey shouldn't have taken him overnight with Dale being so close, he had stopped to make camp for my sake when he found me. He thought me a lost daughter of Men and wouldn't see me die in the harsh winter.

When no one recognized me in the city, he and his partner, who had a permanent shop and residence in Dale, were generous enough to provide me with some clothes that were warm and a job. I was grateful to them and to the people I'd become friends with. Though the fact that I was so long-lived was a curious one to the people but there were Elves in the Mirkwood that would visit and trade with us. I think some just assumed that I was distantly related to them. I'd heard that they were truly immortal, though they could be killed from a terrible wound or from grief. The ones I'd met in passing, I'd made it a strong point that they did not see my face clearly. I had learned from my generous hosts to be suspicious of these beautiful creatures. Last year, I asked Rali and Dwali, sons of Baili, if they knew of anyone heading to the west. I was interested in expanding my knowledge of the world I was living in and also wanted to distract myself from the heartache I felt daily. I missed Lucian and wanted desperately to see my children, even if they were likely all grown up.

When he told me that there was a company of Men headed to a place called Gondor in the next year, I told him I'd like to go there and see the other realms of this world. We'd become good friends and although I had picked up a few words of Dwarvish, I didn't need to know them when I saw the sadness on Rali's face when he heard the news. They helped me to pack my things and gifted me with a thick, fur-lined cloak for the winter months that were to be upon us in our journey later on. Over the years, I had purchased a few items for protection. I had three daggers that I had decided to take with me on my journey. One was small enough to be hidden in a boot and the other two I kept on either hip. The sword I carried was made by Men. It had been made especially for me and was a little bit more feminine. I was a little irritated with the blacksmith at the time he'd made it because I had just asked for a sword that would be fit to my size, not my gender. However, it was beautifully crafted and I had grown to love it.

The Men that I would be traveling with were of the honorable sort, I hoped. They were traders that came from Gondor and would spend a year trading the things they brought for things they could trade and sell when they returned home. I enjoyed the stories they told about their beloved city. There was a lot that I knew I could learn there. I knew I would fit in there. I had braided my hair, which I'd let grow long enough to brush the small of my back, and I used two pieces of steel I'd had them fashion into chopsticks with very sharp points and had wrapped leather around the handles to hold my hair into a braided bun. They were a weapon in the case of emergency. We were planning on traveling to the Elves in Mirkwood first to obtain more supplies and items of trade before we made for Gondor and there were dark things in the forests these days.

The day came to finally leave Dale and I turned to my hosts, who'd aged quite well during my tenure there, and gave them each a heartfelt hug. I was going to miss them terribly. Dwali gifted me with one more thing before I left and it was a ring that had been handed down in his family. I'd told him of my plight after his father had passed. He'd been quiet about it at first, musing on what he'd heard. I told him about how I'd barely been able to see my newborn children before I was torn from my home. Dwali and Rali each had lost children in battle or in childbirth, so they empathized with my broken heart. As I gazed upon the ring he'd given me, I knew that it was to remind me of my children and to remind me of the Dwarves I had thought of as family. The ring was silver steel, 'Mithril,' he told me, that was twisted together to look like the stems of several flowers. It cradled three tiny gems arranged as a triangle and a fourth gem that was larger was held aloft in the middle. All four were the most beautiful white gems I'd ever seen, glistening like starlight. Each setting look like a delicate flower had bloomed with the jewel in the center. The petals of the three other flowers were the pieces that held the fourth jewel in place. It was stunning to look at.

"This ring," Dwali told me, "was a gift from my ancestor, the King Náin. My wife and children are long dead and I would see this jewel worn by a worthy successor. Rali and I are in agreement that should be you."

"Dwali, this is too much. You've given me so much already. You've given me clothes, a home and work. You've given me more than I would have ever asked. I cannot accept this," I whispered to him as I tried to give the ring back. He grabbed my right hand and slid the ring on my ring finger before holding it gently. He was already quite old and his beard and hair were white. His face was well-lined and held a twinkle.

"Daenerys of the Wilds, you have been kind to this old Dwarf and to my brother. It has been a joy to know you and to help you in this world. You're like a daughter to us both and we would see you take this gift. It has been rumored to have power, though none in our line have tested it," he replied. I looked to Rali and he nodded gruffly. His beard, which had been much darker in his youth, was now completely white. The old Dwarf, now at least 232 years old, required a staff to walk since he'd been nearly killed in an Orc attack several years back. Since then, I'd been the one making the journey between Erebor and the shop. I'd proven myself more than capable against Orcs and other thieves that might be on the short road. I found it odd that these Dwarves would think of me as a daughter since I had held them as infants but it was the thought that counted.

"Do you not have cousins that would better benefit from this?" I asked, knowing that it was a futile argument. They shook their heads and Dwali gave my hand a gentle pat before he turned and grabbed my pack.

"They are for you. So that you may look upon that ring and know that you have the light of your children to keep you company and that our friendship will always be here for you if you should return."

I knelt down and kissed each of their cheeks and gave a watery smile. There was a rosier look to their cheeks when I left and shouldered my pack on my way to where the Men were waiting. I kept the hood of my cloak up for the first few days into the journey. I kept to myself, staying only within the confines of the group and occasionally speaking to the men. They were fine with this as they were finding the fact that a woman would dare to wear leather pants and a leather vest over a white laced tunic to be horribly scandalous. They didn't seem to like my boots either, which were slightly molded to my calves and laced tightly to just above the knees. It was on the sixth day of our journey when a mishap occurred. One of the men fell from the path we were following and I went after him when I heard a cry of pain. He'd broken his ankle in his final landing. The Man's name was Geoffrey. We managed to pull him back up to the path but our progress was horribly hindered from the injury.

When I first heard the hissing above us on the eighth night, I thought nothing of it. Then I heard Geoffrey scream and I was trying to detangle myself from the bedroll I'd been laying in next to him. The others were in disarray and I froze in shock as I saw enormous Spiders taking my traveling companions. I was sure I heard 'attercop!' as one Spider ducked down towards one of the most rotund of our group. I managed to pull my sword out just as one of the Spiders attacked me. I slashed at the legs of the one in front of me and realized that there was only one other still with me and fighting. I thought his name was Garilund. He was trying to use his bow to little success. He was all right at hunting game but against this enemy, he was only delaying the inevitable. When I was struck from behind in my distraction, the breath was knocked from me. I staggered to my feet and started running through the forest with one of the Spiders in pursuit. There were more in the trees above and I knew that I couldn't risk trying to fly up without being caught in a web.

I couldn't have told how far I ran or for how long. I tripped over a large root and fell to the ground hard. I flipped to my back and was preparing to pull one of my daggers when an arrow was suddenly sticking out of the head of the Spider. Looking directly up, I could see the figure of an Elf jumping between the branches, bow drawn and loosing arrows upon the terrible creatures. I pushed back to my feet and pulled a dagger out and held my sword aloft. Another Spider fell to the arrows being flung from the branches above. I concentrated on the one that appeared to take the place of the one that had chased me. I thrust forward and then hacked at one of its limbs. A pained hiss would fall and then it would renew its attack. I knew I had struck true when I thrust my dagger between numerous eyes and its remaining legs gave out with a shudder.

There were a few more of the foul creatures to kill and they were dead quickly. I was then surrounded by the Elves of Mirkwood. Some were blond and some were of chestnut hair and some of darker hair. They were beautiful and seemed to glow with inner light. Spattered with a little of the blood of the Spiders, I wanted to be sick. The stench was terrible and my enhanced senses only made it worse. I looked around at the faces and realized that I could not see any of my traveling companions.

"I was with other men! Did you find them?" I asked the nearest one to me. He had blond hair, a green tunic and a bow in hand with two white bone knives on his back. I thought he was one of the most beautiful creatures I'd ever seen.

"Nay, Lady, we found no others alive. You were the only one," he replied. His voice had a soft tone and musical quality to it. My shoulders sagged at that. I couldn't believe it. These men were supposed to be well-traveled. They were on the road most of the time and the one time that I join them, they get wiped out by giant Spiders. I had hated the eight-legged creatures before but now? I wished I'd never seen how big the spiders in this world could get. It gave me the wiggins, as Buffy would have put it. "Come, Lady. We will take you to the King of this realm."

A brief stop at the ruined camp to extinguish the fire and find my things left me wondering how our group could have been caught so unaware. There were seven of us on this journey at the start and there should have been seven at the finish. It felt wrong to leave the site without saying anything, so I closed my eyes, hung my head in respect and whispered softly, "Pax gratum mortuis et perditis hominibus." I knew the words wouldn't be understood by the Elves and disregarded their confused looks. My Latin stunk. I think I said 'Peace be to the grateful dead and to the lost men.' I picked up my bedroll and put my things into my pack. I didn't feel right about taking anything else but I did take an extra purse that I found on the ground. I would need the funds on my journey.

It was a long walk from the site of the ruined camp. Elves, I discovered, weren't very chatty. The one that had spoken to me initially identified himself as Legolas Greenleaf. The group he was running with had been hunting for the nest of the Spiders we'd been attacked by. We were just unlucky enough to be in the path of the starving beasts. They took me through the twisting limbs of the trees and we were on the path for hours before we came upon the doors that led to the hidden city. The doors were massive and built into rock, carved ornately with beautiful designs. I was informed that I would be taken before the Elf-King and I nodded absentmindedly. The trek through to the raised throne left me breathless as I looked up at the beauty of the tree carvings I found around us. It was gorgeous. I had been inside of Erebor many times and had been astonished by the Dwarves' ability to carve the stone to such beautiful geometric designs. I couldn't understand why the Dwarves held such contempt for these beautiful, ethereal beings and seeing that their craftsmanship was just as beautiful, I was stunned that these two peoples didn't work together more.

Although I knew Elves were beautiful, I had to be honest and say that seeing the Elf-King actually caused my heart to flutter. He was _beautiful._ Not the kind of beauty I was used to seeing around Dale but the kind that actually made my mouth open in a surprised 'o' and left me feeling like an idiot for a moment. He was folded into a throne higher above the main area where we were received. The throne he was sitting upon had been carved to look as though it were the horns of a great elk. He was very tall, a full foot taller than my 5'6" stature. He had a regal brow and long, straight blond hair that fell about his shoulders but seemed to be ordered the way he wanted. His crown had many points and was wreathed with the leaves of the season, though if they were real leaves or metal, I could not tell. His blue eyes were piercing and I could see his boredom barely concealed. I forced my gaze to wander the room when he seemed to turn his eyes closer to my direction. I couldn't believe that my awe was from the appearance of a single Elf and tried to conjure the appearance of Lucian to dispel the flutter of my heart. It worked, to a degree.

"We present King Thranduil," one of the elves in our company announced.

"Father," began Legolas and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from flushing with embarrassment. I'd been ogling his father, after all. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, knowing that this Elf looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties in human terms but was probably thousands of years old. Then again, I was 938 years old myself and looked eternally twenty-three. I forced myself to pay attention to what was being said. "This girl was a part of a group that was attacked on the road. According to the documents we found, they were going to stop here for trade and then move on to Gondor."

The King's eyes went from his son to me and again, my heart fluttered. I cursed my hormones. Before coming to this world, I had been used to having sex whenever I wanted it. I'd been completely abstinent since arriving and it had been driving me a little bonkers the last fifty years or so. Now, seeing someone that I found to be especially attractive, my hormones were going wild and begging for interaction. I gave an awkward kind of bow and he inclined his head in return.

"What is your name, girl?" His voice was deep, rich and still managed to be musical. I was amazed. We need more guys like this back home. I think Buffy would definitely be paying attention to Elves. Drool might be involved. And Willow! She'd be as red as her hair if she were in a place like this, babbling until she turned blue from the effort.

"I'm hardly a girl," I retorted without thinking. "Even in Elvish terms."

"And how is that?" he questioned with a quirk to his lips. It seemed I entertained him with that comment. I cursed myself. I'd said too much.

"It doesn't matter. My name is Daenerys," I responded with a dismissive wave. King Thranduil stood up and started walking down the stairs from his throne. This surprised me because now I could see that my evaluation of his height was spot on. He was a foot taller than I was and my head only came to his chest. I felt like a Dwarf or a Hobbit in his presence. He was taller than all of the other Elves in the vicinity.

"You were attacked?" he asked with interest. "By…?"

"Spiders," I replied with a slight shiver at the thought of the creatures. He circled around me slowly. "I _hate_ spiders."

"Indeed," his voice sounded interested as he examined me. I felt like a bug under a microscope. I raised my right hand to brush a stray hair that had fallen into my eyes away. His eyes froze and his hand shot out to envelope my wrist. It was warm and gentle but firm as he guided my hand to inspect it closer. "This ring. Where did it come from?"

"It was a gift from family," I replied in confusion. "A token to remember those that were lost."

"It is a token that was _lost_ ," he had an odd quality to his examination of the ring on my hand. I had the feeling that he wanted to pull it from my finger but he didn't.

"I don't understand."

"I wouldn't expect you to. You're a mortal," he never took his eyes from the glistening jewels that crested the ring. When I tried to gently tug my hand back, his blue eyes slid to mine and I stopped moving. I stared back quietly for a long time.

"Can I have my hand back or do you intend on cutting it off?" I asked this question quietly. I wasn't sure what about the ring was so interesting to him until I remembered what Dwali had said. _It has been rumored to have power, though none in our line have tested it._ When he did not relinquish my hand, I tugged on it and he let my arm slip from his grasp. I took a step back from his imposing form and he straightened up, eyes still locked on mine. His face was in a slight frown. I looked at the ring and then back to him. "It's magic, isn't it?"

"It is _elvish_ magic."

"You want this ring."

"Yes." I mulled this over in my head for a moment. I get a ring as a gift from a dear friend, from my adoptive family, and it's got some kind of magic to it. He says it is elvish magic and since he's an Elf, he wants it. I looked at the delicate ring and seriously considered taking it off for nearly a full two seconds before I shook my head.

"I'm sorry but I can't give it to you. It means too much to me. I can promise that it will be safe with me. I don't know much in the way of magic and it isn't likely that I'll learn," I told him as I kept my eyes on the sparkling gems on the band. When I looked up, I could see the anger in his eyes. It wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for.

"Prepare a room for her. I would have words with our guest after she's had a meal," King Thranduil spoke as he marched up the stairs to his imposing throne. I felt a warm hand take my arm and lead me away. I wasn't looking at him any longer but I could feel his eyes burning into my back. _Did I just piss off an Elf-King?_


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_ or _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_. I don't own the song _Mummer's Dance_ by Loreena McKennitt nor do I own _I Hope You Dance_ by Lee Ann Womack. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 21

They first gave me a room and I laid my things on the floor next to the luxurious bed. I didn't take the time to really absorb the majesty of the accommodations they were offering me; that was something I could do later. I was led to a place where food was being served and was immensely grateful that it wasn't just salads and fruits and vegetables they gave me. I enjoyed the meats and wines they served and although it was tense at first, I was able to make conversation with some of the Elves at the table. Legolas did not stay for the meal and was gone before I could thank him. There were others that I spoke with and the conversation was pleasant. Maedros, an Elf with the most cherubic face and light blue eyes, told me that he was intrigued by the way I fought the Spiders when they had found me.

"I have never seen a mortal woman fight as you did. Where did you learn such skills?"

"His name was Lucian," I said softly before taking a sip of the sweet wine they offered me. "He was my first teacher in the arts of war and he was a fantastic warrior, indeed. He had the cunning to outwit a terrible enemy that plagued our people for many years."

"What enemy?" I heard another ask. He was blond and had green eyes that glittered like precious stones. I think his name was Mirlan. I paused for a moment and let the memories of Lucian wash over me. A little smile came to my face.

"We called them vampires. They enslaved our people for over two hundred years. I came after the Uprising. Lucian was the one who fought against them first. He'd been loyal to them for his entire life. He even took a vampire as his bride in secret," I told them. If I was going to tell this tale, it needed to be told in full. "But the lord of the coven, Viktor, was a cruel creature. He loathed the very slaves that he used to protect his house."

"What are vampires?" Maedros asked curiously.

"Vampires came from a Man, a single man who was bitten by a bat in the dead of night. The first was Marcus," I spat the name out as though it poisoned my mouth, "and he created the vampire race by biting other Men and Women after his change was complete. They are selective creatures. They choose who becomes a part of their race."

"How does one choose who becomes a part of their race?" another Elf I didn't know the name of laughed.

"By looking only for the most skilled or beautiful of Men," I responded. "You see, Marcus was the son of a Man that became immortal through a strange series of events, a story for another time. Because Marcus's father was Immortal, so was he and his twin brother, William. At first, Marcus turned these Men and Women to vampires because he needed an army that belonged to Viktor. William had been bitten by a rabid wolf and the change it brought upon him was slow and terrible. When William's change was complete, he was insane and stuck in the body of a great white wolf and was blinded by rage.

"He terrorized the countryside and, in doing so, created a race of terrible creatures called werewolves. They were Men and Women he'd savaged that would change at the light of the full moon, unable to ever take mortal or human forms again. They were beasts. Insane and hungry for flesh. Viktor's army had been created to wipe this plague out of existence. However, Viktor was greedy and whilst he would kill most of these werewolves as commanded, he also took some for study. He wanted to see if some of them could be bred for work and for protection. You see, vampires can live forever if they do not obtain a grievous wound. If starved, they just desiccate until nourishment becomes available."

"Desiccate? What nourishes them?" Mirlan broke in. I looked around. I had the attention of every Elf at the table and some from tables behind me. I even spied King Thranduil watching from a doorway.

"Blood. They feed on blood alone or they mix it with their favorite wines. While werewolves would feed on the flesh of beasts and Men alike, vampires fed upon blood. And the bite of a vampire upon a mortal Man will turn him into a vampire or kill him, so they did not often feed upon the mortal Men within their realm. Instead, livestock were bred and bled for this purpose. But, I digress. There is another reason that Viktor was interested in werewolves for protection. Vampires have another weakness. They will burn in the light of day. There were whispers once that it was because of their unholy nature that they could not stand in the creator's brightest of lights. Whatever the reason, their flesh will sizzle and smoke and turn to ash if they spend more than a second with the sun's light touching them."

"So, if Lucian was loyal to these vampires, why did he fight back against them?" I looked to Maedros and smiled.

"Because Viktor found out about his favorite slave's marriage. The vampire that Lucian wed was not random. She was Sonja, Viktor's only daughter. Lucian was just an animal in Viktor's eyes, in all vampire's eyes. You see, Lucian was not a mortal Man. He could not become a vampire to be with his beloved. Lucian was a new breed of creature himself, the first of his kind. One of the werewolves that Viktor captured for study turned out to be a pregnant female. It was unknown if she was pregnant when she was bitten or if she was pregnant after but when she gave birth, the result was Lucian. He was something new," I paused to take a sip of wine. "Lucian was born with the form of a Man but could change his form to that of the werewolf that William had become. Except, he could return to his human form and retained his mind when he was a beast. He did not become a mindless and rampaging monster.

"Viktor raised Lucian, taught him how to fight and, when he was old enough, used him to create more of his kind, more Lycans, but it was a heavy burden to him. For every Man he turned to Lycan, they would be given a collar with two silver spikes at the neck to prevent them from changing into their beast, for Lycans could live forever, too. Their weakness was terrible injury and a terrible allergy to silver. It could burn their flesh if they touched it and could kill them if too much were inside their body.

"Viktor would have probably let Sonja live originally, if she would beg for forgiveness from the council for her betrayal. But when she and Lucian tried to escape into the night, she declared that a miracle had occurred. She had discovered that she was with child and that the bloodlines would be blended and for this, the council sentenced her to death in a unanimous decision. Her death could only have come from a unanimous decision and her father was the head of the council. He gave the sentence himself. And they forced Lucian to watch as she was chained to a pyre and they let the sun shine in. He was forced to watch her burn alive while she was only twenty feet away and chained to the floor. He was forced to stay in that room with her corpse for the duration of the day and then he was meant to be put to death himself. He managed to break free from his chains and change quickly with the full moon that shown overhead and then, he called to the werewolves that lived in the hills in a great howl, and to the Lycans he'd led to freedom not three days before and the great war between vampires and Lycans began."

"And you met this Lucian? He taught you to fight?" Maedros was looking at me with interest and a hint of wonder.

"He did," I confirmed as I took another sip of wine. I was finished with my meal and chose not to take more meat from the tray. Then I heard King Thranduil's voice as he made his presence fully known.

"You said 'our people' at the beginning of your story." All eyes turned to me and I turned to capture his piercing gaze. I gave a slight pause before answering. I hadn't realized he'd been there for that.

"Yes, I did."

"Then you are one of these… Lycans." Again, I paused.

"No, I'm not," I answered quietly. I stood up and turned to him. His eyes were narrowed again, searching me for some lie but I wasn't lying. I was no longer a Lycan, as much as it was hard for me to admit. I was a Hybrid. I was far different from where I began. I nodded to Mirlan and Maedros as I left. If this King Thranduil wanted to speak with me about the ring, he would have to wait until I had gotten some sleep. I'd not rested since the Spider attack and I was exhausted. I had an escort that followed me to the room I'd been assigned and I thanked him as I closed the door. Looking around, I found that this place was quite beautiful. There was a bed that looked massive to me that was plush with pillows and thick bedding. The colors were beautiful shades of amber and gold that had detailing I knew I'd never achieve without a thousand years of practice.

The lights I'd seen everywhere were in this room as well, soft lights that seemed to come from living stone. I was astonished by the stonework and woodworks of the walls and furniture. Exhaustion crept back into my limbs and I sat down on an ornately carved chair across from the bed to remove my boots and my traveling clothes. I spotted a full length mirror standing off to the side of the dresser. I peeled off the leathers and the tunic from my body and pulled my hair out of the coiled braid I'd had it in. I walked over to the mirror and turned to examine my flesh for any injuries I hadn't noticed initially. My eyes rested on the tattoo that I'd gotten on my left shoulder. It was in Dwarvish, done by Baili himself. It read the names of my children. I reached with my right hand to touch the script when I heard a knock at the door.

"Just a moment, please," I called as I walked over to my pack and pulled out a long, warm dark blue shift and slipped it on. "Come in." I was more than a little surprised when I saw it was King Thranduil. He seemed surprised in my change but the look did not hold for long on his face. I couldn't get over how beautiful he was.

"I apologize. I did not realize you were readying for bed."

"I'm very tired," I replied. I didn't bother with saying 'your highness' or 'your majesty' when I spoke to him. I wasn't used to using such titles and I didn't plan on starting now.

"Why will you not give me the ring?" He was examining the room more than he was looking at me.

"Why do you want it so badly?" I countered. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before continuing his examination of the room.

"It is an Elvish ring and its power belongs with my people."

"That isn't an answer. It's an explanation. No one is persistent about these things unless there's something to be gained," I responded.

"That is a true statement," he was getting closer now and I was getting nervous. There was a flutter in my heart and I hoped that he couldn't hear it.

"I can't give it to you," I said finally. He looked at me then and I stood my ground. "I would like to take my leave tomorrow morning. I still have the desire to travel to Gondor."

He stared at me for a moment. I couldn't tell if he was trying to intimidate me or if he was trying to figure me out. His face was inscrutable. He turned in a sweeping motion and his long robes swished at my feet as he headed for the door. "I will have you safely escorted to the borders of my kingdom and then you will leave. Should you change your mind, I will be here."

There was a guard that closed the door behind him as he took long strides down the hall and I was left alone with my thoughts. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. King Thranduil was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen and if I weren't 938 years old, if I had been sent here first, I might have been scared of him or so awed that I would have given him whatever he asked. I knew that about myself immediately. When I was still mortal, when I was still figuring this stuff out, I would have been more than willing to just do whatever would have gained the favor of a creature that was so ethereal. I was glad I was a little older and wiser.

I felt the exhaustion sweep through me again and instead of going to the bed and climbing in, I investigated the bathroom that was connected to the room. I could smell sweet scents and oils and stripped off the shift I'd put on so hastily. There was a hot bath that had been drawn for me and I slid into it gratefully. The steaming waters smelled of the sweet oils and fragrances I'd scented when I came in. I soaked for a long while, letting the warmth bring me closer to being able to rest before I scrubbed away the dirt and the sweat of my journey. I washed through my hair and used my fingers to get the larger of the tangles out while my hair was in the water. When I stepped out and used the thick towel to dry my body, I used a comb I'd packed to rake through the smaller tangles. It took me a while but I managed to comb through it all. I braided it into three separate French braids, one on each side and one down the middle with each braid coming to the base of my skull and down. Once that was done, I turned these three long braids into one long braid. Climbing into the thick covers of the bed, I laid on my side and grabbed one of the pillows to hold as I curled up and went to sleep.

When I woke the next morning, I stretched out on the bed and felt a little bit of soreness in my body. I hadn't moved from my curled position all night, it looked like. I took my long, thick braid and carefully coiled it back into the bun I'd had it in before and used the chopsticks to hold it in place. I changed back into my travel leathers with a fresh tunic underneath the leather vest, this one being a light green instead of the white one I'd worn before. Once I was completely dressed and my boots were laced up, I left the room and was guided by my escort to the dining area I'd visited the night before. The food was delicious and wine was served at this meal as well. I took my fill and went back to the room where my pack was waiting. I was escorted by Legolas and Maedros. I did not see the Elf-King again as we left the caverns and departed to the forest.

The company of the two elves that I kept left me wanting. Maedros wanted to hear more about the war between Vampires and Lycans while Legolas seemed more pensive. I talked about the great battles of the war and the skill of Lucian. After that came the questions about my own experiences in the war. I had been vague about my involvement.

"If you are not a Lycan or a vampire, as in your story," Legolas finally spoke up after several hours of hearing me speak, "what _are_ you?"

I looked at him and I knew that it was the question his father had been burning to ask me but had been refraining from, for whatever reason. It was the unspoken question from the dining hall.

"It isn't important," I responded quietly. Legolas pulled his horse a little further ahead before turning to block the way. I sighed and gave him an irritated look. "Really?"

"You told those stories for a reason, told us that you were trained by the most powerful of these Lycans. You fought alongside them against the vampires. You expect us to believe that you were able to overpower these vampires and are just a mortal woman?"

"You really need to know?" I asked as I led the horse around his and continued.

"If your stories are to be believed, then yes." This time it was Maedros that spoke. I sighed and shook my head. They were riding on either side of me now and I was debating whether or not I should say anything.

"You will have to live with disappointment, then," I replied as I kept my eyes trained forward. As darkness began to fall, we slowed and made our camp. I got the fire started while Maedros went hunting and Legolas was preparing other aspects of the camp. When Maedros came back, he had two hares. He was setting about skinning one and I picked up the other. Two practiced strokes and the fur was removed. I caught the raised eyebrows of the elves as they observed me and shrugged. I finished preparing the hare and handed it off to Maedros. He added some seasonings from a pouch he was carrying and put them over the fire to roast.

We ate in relative silence and it was Maedros who decided to break it with talk of singing. He had a soft smile on his face as he sang something I couldn't understand in Elvish but was beautiful nonetheless. I closed my eyes during the performance and just allowed myself to enjoy the words and the sound of his voice. When he finished, I gave applause and he nodded his head in gratitude.

"What of you, Daenerys? Do you know any songs that we could enjoy this night?" he asked softly as he put a small piece of bread into his mouth. I took a moment to think. There were so many songs I could choose from and I chose one that was fairly benign. The Mummer's Dance was always a favorite of mine when I was trying to relax.

"When in the springtime of the year, when the trees are crowned with leaves.

When the ash and oak and the birch and yew are dressed in ribbons fair.

When owls call the breathless moon in the blue veil of the night

Shadows of the trees appear amidst the lantern light.

We've been rambling all the night and sometime of this day!

Now returning back again, we bring a garland gay!

Who will go down to those shady groves and summon the shadows there?

And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms in the springtime of the year?

The songs of the birds seem to fill the wood that when the fiddler plays,

All their voices can be heard long past their woodland days.

We've been rambling all the night and sometime of this day!

Now returning back again, we bring a garland gay!

And so they linked their hands and danced round in circles and rows,

And so the journey of the night descends when all the shades are gone.

A garland gay we bring you here and at your door we stand.

It is a sprout well budded out, the work of our lord's hand.

We've been rambling all the night and sometime of this day!

Now returning back again, we bring a garland gay!"

"Lovely!" Maedros cried in delight. I figured a song about nature might be something they'd enjoy but the look I received from Legolas was all the more quizzical. "I have never heard such a song before! What is it called?"

"The Mummer's Dance. It is not a very popular song where I come from but I have always enjoyed it," I responded.

"Sing another for us," the Elf had eyes alight with excitement at hearing another tune that he'd never encountered before.

"Perhaps another time," I smiled.

"Oh, please? I would be remiss if I did not ask again!" I sighed and nodded. This time, I chose a song that required I hold a note or two in the chorus.

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder!

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger!

May you never take one single breath for granted.

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens.

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And if you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance! I hope you dance!

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance.

Never settle for the path of least resistance.

Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking.

Loving might be a mistake, but it's worth making.

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter!

When you come close to selling out, reconsider!

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance!

And if you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance! I hope you dance!

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along!

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone?

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens.

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

Dance! I hope you dance! Dance! I hope you dance!"

I had been staring at the fire when I sang but I turned and saw the delight in Maedros' eyes and couldn't help but to smile. He was a very enthusiastic Elf when it came to music, which I liked. Before he could ask for another song, I laid down on the bedroll I'd prepared and turned my back to him in a clear signal that meant I was ready to sleep. He quietly got up and stood the first watch, giving me a forlorn look when I didn't offer up the name of the song or attempt to sing another.

"Thank you for the songs," I heard Legolas say. I looked over my shoulder and gave an awkward nod. I drifted off into a dreamless sleep. When I awoke the next morning, I could hear the two conversing quietly in Elvish. I didn't understand a word of it but decided that I would learn the language at some point while I was here. I ate a meal of lembas bread and some berries before we cleaned up the camp and headed out on our horses. We reached the edge of Mirkwood a few hours before evening would have fallen and I smiled at the two Elves. This is where we were to part but I could see the conflict in the eyes of Maedros at the thought of letting me leave alone. He obviously didn't like it at all.

"Perhaps we should accompany you to your destination," he mused. "I would not feel comfortable letting a lady such as yourself travel alone."

"You were meant to take me to the borders of the realm. The forest marks your borders, does it not?" I asked.

"It does," Legolas confirmed.

"Then you have done as you were asked. I appreciate the sentiment, Maedros. I will be fine. I promise," I gave him a grin and then, to ease his concerns, I let my eyes flash to their blue-on-black state. "Any who attempt to fight with me will find I am more dangerous than they might believe."

The look of pure shock on their faces was worth it, I decided as I turned the horse and rode out towards the Misty Mountains to the West. Gondor was going to be a ride of several weeks and I would have to make stops to hunt and gather supplies on the way. I was suddenly grateful for the extra coin purse I'd snared before leaving the camp of my dead compatriots. It would help me on my journey immensely. When I was a fair distance from the forest, I urged the horse forward to a gallop. This was a generous gift of the Elves and I was glad of it. I didn't know the lands here very well and was glad I hadn't tried to fly for very far since arriving. I'd done a few short trips around the mountain in search of game or in search of other supplies when I'd lived with Baili and later Dwali and Rali.

I turned south towards the city of Edoras and visited there for a few days, trading what I had for lodging. I found the people of Rohan to be amazing. They were stout of heart and I was pleased to know that even the women knew how to fight. Most of the Men I'd met were still pretty sexist about it, even going so far as to tell me that I should not be traveling on my own. I told them that I was a better warrior than they could guess. I only got laughs at that. It didn't matter to me. When I left, I continued South through the White Mountains and then followed through to Minas Tirith. One particular night, when I realized I was only one more day out from reaching the city I'd heard so much about, I heard a noise in the darkness. I had only a few moments to get myself ready for a fight. Whoever it was had already seen the light from my fire; they were headed directly for me.

When two identical, beautiful faces emerged from the wood, I kept my guard up. They seemed surprised that the owner of the fire was a single woman and kept their guard up as well. It wasn't long before I realized that I was surrounded by Elves. The two in front of me had stormy grey eyes and mahogany hair. I had no doubt that they were related to the Elf that stood at the fore of the group that stumbled upon my camp. His hair and eyes were the same color as the twins. Perhaps he was their father, for I saw more wisdom in his eyes than I did in theirs.

"Who are you? Why do you surround my camp?" I asked, my hand on one of my daggers. The one I surmised to be the leader raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"We mean you no harm. We saw the fire from the camp and wished to join for the night, if that is all right?"

"I could have been anyone," I told him with narrowed eyes. "I could have been a camp of Orcs or something equally nasty. Why risk it?"

"Because we saw you traveling far ahead of us this morning," one of the twins supplied. "It was odd to see a woman traveling alone and there was concern for your safety."

"So you kept going after dark to make sure that I had not been injured?"

"Indeed, we could not let a lady traveling to Minas Tirith who might be in need of aid go without," the other twin replied.

"I am Elrond," the leader of the troupe stepped forward and bowed his head with a welcoming smile. "These are my sons Elladan and Elrohir. We are on our way to Minas Tirith. Is that also your destination?"

"Yes, it is. I've met Elves before and I would be glad of some company. The road from Dale has been long and weary. I'm called Daenerys. It is a pleasure to meet you, Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir," I gave a slight bow and took my hand off the dagger I'd been ready to pull. I sat back down at my fire and felt a little sheepish as I gestured to the single rabbit I'd killed that was cooking over the fire. "You are welcome to what little I have."

There were only seven elves in this group, it appeared. Elrond and his sons were gracious as guests at my campfire and declined the meal. Instead, two of their group produced a deer that had already been killed prior to them catching up and they began the process of skinning it and cutting flesh away to cook. They helped to make the fire bigger and began to cook the meat, offering some to me when it was ready to be eaten. I nodded gratefully and ate better than I had since leaving Rohan. Game had been scarce for the last few days and I had been getting hungrier.

"You come from Dale?" Elrond asked as a flagon of wine was handed to me. I nodded, pouring some into my cup and handing it back.

"Yes. I decided to come to travel with a group of traders that would make these visits to our city every year. We were on our way through Mirkwood when our group was set upon by Spiders. I was the only survivor. I was taken in for the night by King Thranduil and he graciously gave me an escort to the edge of his realm and a horse for my journey," I explained as I sipped at the sweet wine in my cup. "It was my first experience in the hospitality of Elves."

"I am sorry to hear of your loss, my Lady," Elrond replied. "It is good fortune that you were spared."

"You don't need to call me Lady," I smiled. "Just Daenerys, or Danni if you like."

"Daenerys. That is an interesting name. I've not heard it before. What does it mean?" Elladan asked. Or was it Elrohir? I smiled and gave myself a mental shake.

"It means Light Lady or Lady of Light. Whichever you prefer," I shrugged. "My mother gave it to me because she thought it was beautiful and strong. It reminded her of a story she heard, though I do not know the whole story myself."

"A beautiful name it is, indeed," Elrond assured me.

"What was the story about?" Elrohir asked.

"I don't know for sure. I know that part of it was about a woman named Daenerys and she was a descendant of kings. Her brother arranged for her to marry a man she did not love at first. When he died, she was filled with grief because their unborn child had also been lost. She'd been gifted with three eggs as a wedding present and these eggs were that of Dragons and were thought to have turned to stone with time. In her grief, she took these eggs and laid with them on her husband's funeral pyre and lit the fires herself.

"When the ashes had cleared, she stood in the middle of where the flames had roared and was still alive, unscathed, and three baby dragons clung to her body as though she were their mother. Her husband had been a king among his people and she had been their queen. Her rebirth through the fire gave them cause to call her the Mother of Dragons. I do not know the rest of the story," I finished with an apologetic tone.

"A fascinating tale," Elrond nodded. I smiled.

"Are there any other stories you know?" one of the twins asked, though I didn't see who.

"I have a few I could tell."

"Please do!"

With a smile, I began to tell the tale of a Nightmare on Elm Street, modified for the world I was in. I could see that there were many pairs of eyes that were trained on me with rapt attention. _This might be interesting._

* * *

As we rode to Minas Tirith, I got to know the Elves that were valiantly escorting me to the city and discovered that the twin sons of Elrond were hysterical to watch. I couldn't stop _laughing_ the whole way there. They must have made it their goal. There was one point where I nearly fell off my horse because I was laughing so hard and it only made them keep up their antics even further. I was glad I didn't pee my pants by the time we reached the first gate. We parted company after the second gate and they promised to come and find me when their business had concluded. I think they were having quite a bit of fun at my expense and wanted to see just how far they could take it.

I took my time staring at the architecture of the city. It was magnificent. I could see why the traders had been so eager to return here in some respects but it was just another human city in many other respects. Having lived in Dale, I'd seen how they did things as a prosperous city and though there were some definite differences in the culture, there were not so many differences in the basics. I didn't need long to decide that I did not want to stay here. I wandered through as many levels as I could, absorbing what there was to offer. I found an inn and was surprised the next day when the twins found me, as promised. We talked about their business in the city, which was political in nature. Their father, Elrond, was Lord of Rivendell, the Last Homely House and he was there to negotiate some additional trade between Gondor and his people.

When they asked why I'd come to Gondor, to Minas Tirith, my answer sounded childish in comparison. "I'd heard for years what a beautiful city this is and of the wonders of Gondor," I replied. "I see it is another city of Men, beautiful in its own way, but still just a city of Men. Having seen the realm of Mirkwood, I think I would be interested in learning more of your people. Perhaps I could come to Rivendell and learn the ways of Elves?"

"I do not believe our father would be adverse to that idea," Elladan responded and I grinned.

"When do you and your people return to Rivendell?" I asked.

"We will be here for several weeks at least," said Elrohir. I nodded.

"Plenty of time for me to explore the city!" I was getting excited about this.

* * *

I was running as hard as I could while trying to remain at human speeds. Behind me, I heard two sets of feet that were on the verge of catching up to me. _Damnit!_ I thought. _I shouldn't have taken so much time!_ I spotted an alleyway and darted in, hoping to lose my pursuers in the crowd I saw there. I cried out in surprise when one of them dropped down from the roof in front of me and then had to stifle a giggle at the sight. There'd been a series of pranks that had sprung up between myself and the twin sons of Elrond and I'd decided to take it to the next level when I served them tea… with a dash of black ink. I'd been quick to tell them I had a previous engagement to attend to as soon as the tea was in their hands. I'd even made sure to drink some in front of them. Their lips and teeth were blackened from the prank and it hadn't taken them long to figure out what I'd done. I thanked whichever movie I'd seen as a kid that gave me the idea. It was truly _hysterical_ to see in person!

"Why, Elladan, Elrohir! I thought for sure you two knew how to keep good hygiene with your teeth!" I laughed as they glowered at me. The fact that I hit them both at the same time was what probably really had them sore. I'd been hitting them one at a time until now.

"This is the beginning of a war, don't you see that Daenerys?" the one I thought was Elrohir replied in front of me. I was shaking with laughter so I couldn't reply.

"I do think she is making a mockery of us, brother," Elladan said.

"This simply won't do," Elrohir agreed. Before I could straighten up, they had each grabbed an arm and were dragging me through the square to the large fountain that existed in the middle. It was bubbling with icy cold water and I stopped laughing and started struggling with human strength to get away. I was dunked into the freezing water before I could protest. I stood up in the water, sputtering and shivering. I gave them a glare as I stepped out of the fountain and tried to splash them but it was futile. They were too quick for me. I was very uncomfortable now in the clothes now clinging to me. I'd bought some new clothes, a few dresses and more traveling clothes. Today I was wearing a dress that was blue and now soaking wet. They had the decency to look a little sorry when they saw how badly I was shaking.

"Perfect. Just _perfect!_ " I ground out as I walked stiffly back to the inn. They had been laughing before but with the winter coming closer, I think they realized that this was going a bit far. I could get sick. Or, that's what they thought. I'd been pretty good at playing human. I was shivering terribly by the time I reached my room with two reticent Elves trailing behind. I slammed the door and locked it before I began stripping down. I went to the fire in the corner and laid the wet dress and underthings over a chair in front of it. I pulled a dress that was red and orange from the pack and shivered as I pulled out more underthings to wear beneath it. It was fairly chilly in the room even with the fire. I was nearly dressed when a knock came. I finished with the orange corset and opened the door to find it was the Lord Elrond. My hair, which was still dripping in some places, was still askew from being dropped into the fountain and I waved the Elf into the room as I took a seat and began to braid the mess over my shoulder.

"I see the pranks have come full circle," he sounded slightly amused but there was a serious glint in his eye.

"Indeed they have. Perhaps you can negotiate a truce between your sons and I?" I suggested as I used a thin piece of leather to tie off the braid. Elrond nodded.

"I'm sure there can be a peace wrought between you three. I am here on other matters, though. My sons tell me that you are thinking of coming to Rivendell. What would be your purpose there?"

"I would like to learn more about the Elves. Your language, your people. I find it fascinating and beautiful. I have spent time among Men and Dwarves but not among Elves," I responded.

"Dwarves?"

"Yes, Dwarves. I know some of their language and their ways. I lived as friend and in the employ of a Dwarf named Baili and his two sons Dwali and Rali for a time."

"I would not mind having you come to live amongst my people but I wonder if you have family that would miss you?" I felt the pain of loss in my heart again as I thought of the children I had barely seen at their birth and of Lucian. Three hundred and fifty years had not completely dimmed the heartache I felt at knowing that I'd never seen my children grow up. Elrond noticed my change in demeanor. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Nothing is wrong. I have no family that will miss me. Not anymore," I responded softly. "They are gone."

I found my hand wandering over the face of a leather bound book I'd purchased in the markets of Dale with some of my first earnings from Baili. I had left it upon the desk that I was sitting next to. I had taken to writing down the more important moments of my life here in those pages and had drawn the faces I had barely glimpsed before being pulled to this world. Caeryn, Maelys and Liam were carefully bound within these pages. I'd drawn Lucian's face as well and had forced myself to keep those pages closed, lest the images fade.

"I see. I will leave you to your thoughts, then. If you still wish to join our company, we will be meeting at the first gate at first light on the morrow. I would be glad to show you the ways of Elves, my lady." He glanced at the leather book and then took his leave. I found myself wondering what my twin girls were like. Were they mischievous? Were they delicate and refined? Do they babble when they are nervous like Willow? Did Buffy show them to be strong women? Did Rupert and Lucian ensure that they studied hard? What was Liam like? Was he goofy like Xander? Was he thoughtful and intelligent like his father? Was he strong and wise? Did he fight against the darkness with Buffy and the Slayerettes? For the first time in a hundred years, I let a sob wrench itself from my lips as I went round in circles with these thoughts. Opening the book to the page where their portraits were, I began to openly weep as my fingers brushed over the pictures. It was like a fresh wound to my heart. I fell asleep, crying as I clutched the book to my bosom on the bed, not caring if I ruffled my dress.

When I awoke to darkness, I rubbed my eyes and let them adjust. The fire in the hearth was low and I was cold as I changed into my traveling leathers with an extra layer of clothes underneath. It looked like it would be a few hours yet until the dawn approached. I took the time to take the things I'd left about the room and carefully pack them away. I waited patiently until I felt it was time to leave and went to the inn keeper. I paid for my last night there and left an additional coin in thanks for all they'd done for me. I rode down to the first gate and I saw the company of Elves were gathered and were readying themselves to depart. I was the last one to arrive. I saw a guilty look on the twins' faces when they saw that my eyes were red and puffy. They must have assumed that I was crying over them and I shook my head.

Our company was filled with mirth as we traveled towards Rivendell. Nearly halfway through the journey, my pack fell off of my horse, which I had since named Lorenzo. I wasn't fast enough in getting down to retrieve the things that spilled from it and Elrohir found my journal. It had fallen open to the page with the portraits. When I tried to grab it back from him, he lifted it out of my hands and gave it to Elladan. They didn't laugh or make fun of me after seeing that, just handed it back to me quietly when they saw the look of loss on my face. That night, I could feel the questions that my companions wanted to ask but were being polite enough not to voice. I decided to share what I'd not discussed in so long. It helped me to have others to feel my burden.

"I was to be a mother, once," I started as I pulled out the journal and flipped to the page. "It was my first and only pregnancy and I bore twin daughters and a son. Before they were even born, something had started to go wrong. They were early and I was in distress. I was bleeding terribly. I gave Lucian, my husband, a blade and begged him to save our children. I was awake for their birth into the world. I got to see their faces and I even got to hold my son. My Liam."

A single hot tear started to make its way down my face. "My husband was no healer and there was not a healer to be found for miles. Then they were torn from me, my husband, my children. I was left in the snow with my body torn open and I thought I would die. Somehow, I survived. I sewed my own body shut and I wandered through the woods in terrible cold. I was found, nearly dead, by a Dwarf that did not speak the common tongue. He saved my life and took me to his home in Dale. My family was not found in that city, and I knew they would not be. They were gone. So the Dwarf gave me a place to live, gave me work and purpose. But I still miss them. My Lucian, my Liam. I miss the daughters I never got to hold, Caeryn and Maelys. I miss the life I should have had with them."

I handed the book to Elrond and he examined my portraits carefully before handing them back.

"You have experienced a great loss, then. I am sorry for the heartache you have endured. How long ago was it?" he asked.

"I don't wish to speak of it anymore, if that's all right. It aches to think of it," I replied softly. I closed the book and pushed it into my bag. I had already eaten the night's meal and was feeling very solemn at that moment.

"Our mother was taken by orcs," Elrohir had come to sit next to me. "She was taken from us and tortured. We were able to save her and father healed her but… She could not stay in Middle Earth after the wound she'd taken. Her spirit needed more healing than our father could provide."

"She left this world for the Undying Lands, so that she might be healed. We have not seen her in more than a thousand years," Elladan sat on the other side of me. I put a hand on each of theirs and gave them a small smile for the comfort they were trying to bestow upon me. I felt as though the bond we'd developed in the last few weeks had changed. Our shared losses. I, for my children, and they for their mother.

"I am very tired tonight. Please let me know if I can help with the night's watch," I told them quietly and they both gave me a smile before I laid on my bedroll.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. I also don't own _Behind Blue Eyes_ by The Who or the version done by Limp Bizkit, which is the version I have in mind here. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.

Chapter 22

When we reached Rivendell, I was in awe of it. Waterfalls and architecture that made my jaw drop were part of this valley I couldn't have even dreamed of. The white arches and the craftsmanship was exquisite. I think Elrond was pleased at my awe, though he did not voice it. However, it was evident by the smug looks on his sons' faces that they were pleased I liked the look of their home. When I was led to the room that I would call home for a time, my breath was taken away. It overlooked a waterfall and the sun would stream through at just the right angle for me to see a rainbow. Though there was a chill in the crisp air, I did not mind it as I took in the beauty before me. It was a few hours after arriving that I emerged from the room. I'd had a long soak in a hot bath and my skin was glowing from all the pampering I'd done for myself. I let my hair fall down my back in a waterfall of black curls. When I was still human, I would dye my hair to auburn but that color had long since been dead to me.

Coming out of my room, I was greeted by a black haired female Elf. She told me she was Arwen, Elrond's daughter. I was delighted to meet her and she was just as graceful in her greeting to me. _This is what elegance is,_ I thought to myself as I watched the beauty glide beside me to the dining hall where the evening meal was to be served. I blanched slightly when I saw that they preferred mostly greens but was glad to see a bit of roasted pork. Music was played by some Elves as the meal was served and there was soft conversation, for the most part. I saw that there was a small group of Men at one table and they waved me over to speak with them. They were nobles on their way to Rohan and had spent the last two weeks in the House of Elrond. I politely declined to speak with them for very long. At least one of them had taken too much wine and looked like he wanted to get hands on with me.

I sat down at the table and a goblet was placed before me. It was filled with wine and I sipped it slowly. It was different than the wine in Mirkwood or Dale or Gondor. This wine had spice and sweetness to it. I put some of the greens on my plate, a carrot or two and some of the roast pork. It was delicious and perfectly seasoned. The wine complimented the flavors and I asked that my compliments be sent to the cook. When music started to be played and songs were being sung, I enjoyed the sweet voices of the Elves. The Men were invited to sing as well and I heard their tenor and baritone voices were a joy to hear. Then I was asked if I knew of any songs I couldn't help but sigh at the world I was in. They certainly loved their music. I nodded and stood up. I was acutely aware of the eyes that were upon me as I stepped over to a guitar player and asked to borrow the instrument. I began to pluck out the tune that first popped into my head.

"No one knows what it's like to be the bad man, to be the sad man

Behind blue eyes.

And no one knows what it's like to be hated, to be fated

To telling only lies.

But my dreams, they aren't as empty as my conscious seems to be!

I have hours, only lonely! My love is vengeance that's never free!

No one knows what it's like to feel these feelings like I do

And I blame you!

No one bites back as hard on their anger. None of my pain and woe

Can show through!

But my dreams, they aren't as empty as my conscious seems to be!

I have hours, only lonely! My love is vengeance that's never free!

No one knows what it's like to be mistreated! To be defeated

Behind blue eyes!

And no one knows how to say that they're sorry. And don't worry,

I'm not telling lies!

But my dreams, they aren't as empty as my conscious seems to be!

I have hours, only lonely! My love is vengeance that's never free!

No one knows what it's like to be the bad man, to be the sad man

Behind blue eyes!"

I handed the instrument back to its owner and thanked him. As I went to return to my seat, I was ambushed by the twins and they wanted to know where I'd learned such a song and when I could teach it to them. I had to laugh. I assured them that I would teach them that song and many others, though I was sure that if they asked me to sing again tonight, I would sing something by the LimeyBirds instead. Perhaps the _Fairy Story?_

* * *

 _95 years later_

The fact that I didn't age was something that Elrond asked me about in confidence last night. As I stared at the waterfalls from the balcony of my room, I felt as though something had been lifted from my chest. A weight of immense size. I told him the truth. That I was eternally young because I was not of the race of Men anymore. That I was not originally of Middle Earth. I told him my whole story, for I owed it to him for giving me rest in his home for so long. I told him that unless afflicted by a terrible injury, I could easily live an immortal life as the Elves do. He had been surprised at the news of my nature and had asked me to show him my other state, which I did show him gradually over a few minutes. I didn't want to startle him with the change of my pallor, my eyes and face, my fingers curling into claws. I grinned for him and my mouth was filled with sharp teeth.

I was glad that he did not ask me to leave his home, only that I continue to be the guest he had brought many years ago. I told him that would not be a problem. I think he most found it disturbing that I could move objects with my mind. He'd never seen something like that within something that was not foul in nature. That I could use that ability to fly was only serving to make that thought worse. It was another thing I had to show him, though I had been very conservative with that show by hovering only a few feet off the ground in his study. I couldn't promise that I wouldn't use that ability. It was unconscious on my part, usually. I would think I needed something and it would begin to float to me.

I had also learned more about the ring that King Thranduil had shown so much interest in before. It was an Elvish ring and the magic in it was derived from the starlight they so loved. In fact, the name of the ring was Itarille, which was 'starlight' in Elvish. It was a powerful ring, though not one of the famed Elvish rings of power. Those rings were Nenya, Narya and Vilya. Mine was different, made after the One Ring, though it was supposedly very potent. _No wonder Thranduil desired it. He probably didn't try to take it by force because he was concerned that I might use it or something. Not that I_ know _how to use it._ To say that he was surprised that I had it was an understatement. I decided not to tell him how I got it. I was concerned it might cause him to have the Elvish equivalent of a heart attack.

I sighed and leaned on the pillar next to me. Today, I was very introspective. Fifty years ago, we had received word that a dragon named Smaug had sacked Erebor and that Dale had been burnt to ruin. I'd done what I could to find out what happened to Dwali and Rali and discovered that they had perished in the dragon's initial fire. It pained me to know that my friends had died in such a terrible way. In my 1033 years, I had never seen a dragon and knowing what this one had done to my friends, I prayed that I never did. I sighed again as I stood up. I needed to get to Elladan and Elrohir. I'd volunteered to be a part of the party that was welcoming a party of Elves from Mirkwood and I'd heard that Maedros was part of the group. I looked forward to seeing him again. He'd been so kind to me during our last meeting and I wished to spend time with the exuberant soul.

When I reached them, they were bickering over the meaning of a song they heard me sing. I sighed. They would do this at times, trying to figure out the meanings behind songs that were written with references to things that didn't exist yet. Today, they argued over the meaning of paparazzi and what they were.

"The beginning of the song says that they are the crowd!"

"It also says that they follow you until you love them. If these paparazzi are the crowd, these people must be strange indeed. What boy are they seeking?"

"I still say that it's talking about a prince or a king. They seek to gain his portrait for mention of his heroic deeds."

"Then what do velvet ropes and guitars have to do with heroic deeds?"

"Perhaps it is a custom we are unaware of?"

"I simply do not think-"

"Enough!" I laughed. "It's a song about people who become obsessed with other people! Nothing more!"

"I don't believe that is true," Elladan retorted. At least, I thought it was Elladan.

"Believe what you like, that song has nothing to do with Kings or princes," I mounted my horse and made sure that I had all of my weapons. The blade I'd had made from Dale had been retired when I learned of the city's destruction and I had accepted a gift from the twins of an Elven blade. It was beautifully crafted and I loved how the handle fit to my hand. It was light and perfectly balanced. It was the perfect weapon for me.

We rode out to the surrounding forest and I lost myself in the rhythm of the horse's movement and in the quiet discussions that were had around me. I hummed softly to myself. We rode for hours until we reached a point that was already decided upon for the meeting to escort the guests. I had heard that Legolas was meant to be a part of the group and was glad to be seeing him as well, even if it had been a lukewarm reception before. I dismounted from the horse and decided to walk around a little. It was a day before we could see the party in the distance. I started to feel unease creeping into my body. I wasn't sure what it was exactly, but something wasn't right. As the company grew closer, I felt my heart skip a beat. King Thranduil was a part of the company we were going to escort. I could tell because his steed was an enormous elk and he seemed the type to go big or go home when we last met.

I mounted my horse and took my position at the back of the group. I wasn't trying to hide my presence. I knew that protocol dictated that the first to meet with the group should be Elrond's sons. I had started to feel uneasy over the course of the last few minutes. Something wasn't right. I let my eyes sweep over the area in concern but saw nothing out of place. Thranduil was at the head of the group and was already exchanging words with Elladan. As our two parties began to merge and head back towards Rivendell, I saw something that made a chill run down my spine. It was almost completely dark now and I nearly missed it but I was sure I saw the glint of steel just to our east. The twang of a bow and an arrow piercing the thigh of the Elf behind me confirmed what I feared.

I drew my sword and slashed at one of the filthy creatures as it leapt through the brush at me. All hell broke loose and a small horde of Orcs rushed our party. I dropped to the ground and began fighting in front of the injured Elf. I beheaded one of the creatures and moved onto another. I could see that even the King of the Woodland Realm was involved in the skirmish. I was almost distracted by how fluid his movements were. If Elladan and Elrohir were experts when it came to fighting, Thranduil's actions made it seem like it were a dance. The injured Elf, I think his name was Alwe, was being protected by one of Thranduil's company that I did not recognize, so I felt comfortable with going to where a thicker number of Orcs were. Their numbers were thinning out quickly.

I heard Elrohir call out to me. I looked around and saw him several feet away, protecting his twin's flank. As I was looking in his direction, I saw an Orc that made my blood go cold. It was taking aim, not at the twins but at grander target: Thranduil. He was invested in a battle between himself and three others and wasn't even turned in that direction. I wasn't sure if I could concentrate on the battle I was fighting and prevent the spear that was about to be thrust his way from reaching its mark. He was still seated on the elk and I decided that there wasn't enough time. The Orc flung the spear and I leapt at the same time, using the rear of a horse as leverage. It hit its mark but in the wrong victim. I fell to the ground with a grunt. Looking down I saw the head of the spear lodged in my chest. I could feel one of my lungs was punctured and I was starting to lose consciousness. Darkness crept around the edges of my vision and as the last of the filthy creatures was relieved of its head, I heard someone call out to me in Elvish. I was claimed by darkness before I could respond.

The first sensation that I felt was pain in my chest, a burning in my lung that caused me to jerk away from the hands that immediately came down to restrain me.

"Daenerys! Calm yourself! We are tending to your wound but you must hold still," I heard a familiar voice tell me. My head lifted up and eyes looked down to see that they had cut the shaft from the spear but the head was still inside of me. I reached up to pull it out and there were hands there to stop me immediately. "You'll bleed to death if you do that! Stop!"

"I can't breathe," I gasped.

"The spear pierced your lung," I heard Elladan explaining to me gently. "We are trying to help but you need to calm down."

I nodded but it was difficult. I felt like I was drowning on dry land. Although the sons of Elrond were skilled healers, I could feel something else in the tip of the spear that was making me ill the longer it stayed in.

"We need to get her to Father," I heard whispered to the side. "I think that spear was poisoned. She's too pale, even for her wound."

"Then we will make haste," I heard a deeper voice speak. I realized it was Thranduil. It was a labor to breathe and I knew that if I could get this spear head out and feed upon something, I could feel better but I dared not let my instincts take me. I clenched my jaw to prevent myself from crying out as the spearhead was covered and then stabilized. I was picked up and placed upon an animal and someone mounted the creature behind me. A warm, strong arm wrapped around me and pulled me gently to their chest. I realized that I was riding an elk. My head was beginning to swim from the combination of blood loss, pain and the powerful scent of trees and flowers that clung to my riding companion. He whispered to the creature, _"Rima! Rima Imladris!"_

We were moving fast and I wheezed in pain when the wound was jostled too roughly. I couldn't hear beyond the wind whistling by my ears and the heavy sound of a gallop. I blacked out twice during the journey and when I woke, I could hear a voice in my ear whispering to me. I could barely understand some of it, the rest I knew nothing at all of what was being said to me. I was beginning to see things I knew weren't there. I could see twin girls staring at me with such accusations in their eyes. A boy that pointed to me and looked remarkably like his father. I muttered their names and tears started to run down my face. When we arrived in Rivendell, the Elves that met us there were alarmed at the bloodstained state of the Elf-king and at my terrible wound.

"Direct me to her room and summon Lord Elrond there! She is fading!" I scarcely heard his words. He lifted me off of the elk and carried me where he was directed. I was lost in the visions of the children. I wept as I reached for them but they stayed out of reach. Thranduil held my arms at my side after he laid me on the bed that I knew was mine. I resisted him, trying to reach for the children I knew couldn't be there.

"Please, let me see them! They hate me don't they?" I muttered as I tried to reach for my children. "They hate me, I know they do. I lost them. How could I have done that?"

I sobbed as I tried reaching for them again. "There is no one there," I heard him say.

"No! No, they can't be gone! My babies!" I wept and coughed wetly. "Not again! Please? Oh, my children!"

I was burning from the inside, from where the spear head was embedded in me. Lord Elrond swept into the room, brows knit and face grave. I grasped the sleeve of the blond Elf and his eyes locked on mine for a moment. "Tell them? Tell them I love them? Please? They won't believe me," I begged. I needed him to tell them, though the logical part of my mind told me that it was impossible. I could see him moved by my words.

"Hold her down! Thranduil, hold her legs," I heard Elrond instruct, "I must first address the wound."

"There is a spearhead in her chest," the Elf-king told him, "She took the spear meant for my heart. Your sons say it has pierced a lung. They believe it was poisoned."

"It may well be," Elrond agreed grimly as he unwrapped the dressing that held the spearhead in place. I wished then that I had mastered the ability to force objects from my body as Lucian could. He'd tried teaching me a few times but I'd never been able to do it. Grabbing hold of the spearhead with one hand and placing the other over my heart, Elrond whispered something in Elvish and then yanked it out quickly. A shrill scream left my lips and I felt blood seeping from my chest and into my lung. I felt like I was truly drowning now as blood began to well up in my throat and ooze from my parted lips. The Elf Lord pressed a dressing to the wound, for the linen had been soaked in herbs, and began to mutter in Elvish. Thranduil, holding my legs, muttered the words in time. I moaned at the sight of those children that I knew were mine as they stared at me accusingly. The two Elves in the room stole my attention from the vision as they glowed with an inner light whilst they chanted those words. I had long since stopped struggling and the blond elf had moved to the other side of the bed with his hand touching the dressing of the wound in my chest.

The burning in my chest was ebbing and I was able to breathe a little easier but the pain was still there. I swallowed back the blood in my throat and my eyes drooped. I broke out into a sweat long ago and now I could feel it beading on my forehead and rolling off. I heard Elrond ask Thranduil to leave the room while he probed the wound more fully for anything that could make me worse before he sewed the wound and applied a poultice. To do this, he had to completely cut away my shirt. Arwen was there to bring her father the requested items and assist in his work. I lost consciousness not long after.

* * *

I felt sunlight on my face and turned my head from the brightness that seeped through my eyelids. My chest ached and I could barely breathe without the pain shooting through my body. When I tried to sit up, a gentle hand was on my shoulder, pushing me back down. I barely cracked my eyes open and saw the intense blue that stared back at me. A circlet upon his brow and blond hair falling about his shoulders, the King Thranduil's hand was warm on my shoulder as he made sure I did not try to move further. My lips were chapped and dry, aching for water but that wasn't why I licked them.

"Water?" I rasped softly and he turned to pour some into a cup. I lifted my head enough to take a sip when it was offered to my lips. The action of moving my head hurt but it was worth it to slake the burning in my throat. I sighed and let my head fall back to the pillow. "Anwe? Is he all right?"

"He is well and resting in his room. You should not speak, little one. You are gravely injured and require time to heal."

"I must see that he's okay," I objected as I tried to sit up. This time he used both of his hands to push me back to the sheets. I had no strength to resist him.

"I am sure that Lord Elrond is tending to him," Thranduil's voice was deep and stern. It was obvious that he was used to getting his way. I sagged back, defeated.

"Was anyone else badly wounded? Is everyone else all right?"

"You need not worry. The only grave injury was yours." I sighed in relief and smiled.

"I'm glad," I whispered. He seemed satisfied that I would not try to leave again and folded his long frame into a chair next to my bed. My journal lay on the table next to me. "How long was I asleep?"

"Four days."

"Four _days?"_ I winced at the thought. I must have been worse than I first imagined.

"Who are Caeryn, Maelys and Liam?" the question took me by surprise and my eyes, which had been wandering the room, snapped back to him.

"How do you know those names?" I asked in a low voice. He gestured to me.

"You were muttering them when we arrived. Who are they?" I could see the curiosity in his face and I looked away. The dreams and nightmares I'd experienced were coming back to me now.

"My children," my voice was almost nonexistent. "My daughters and son."

"Where are they?" the question was softer in tone and it brought pain as I looked to him.

"Gone." I didn't want to talk about it any further. I'd accepted that I may never see my children again. For some reason, whatever it was I was meant to learn or to do in this world had not happened yet and I feared that the Host had been wrong. What if I kept traveling for all time, never returning to that world where my children were? It broke my heart to think of it. I reached for the journal. He picked it up with his long, deft fingers and opened it. He was turning the pages and I was suddenly very glad that he couldn't read Theban letters. I'd been writing in that alphabet since I arrived to prevent people from reading my journal without permission. I'd written some things I'd dreamed about doing to him, with him after our last meeting and would have been mortified if he could read the entries. One or two of them were very explicit. He paused when he came to the portrait I'd drawn of the children and handed it to me. I touched the pictures reverently and felt the grief overtake me again.

I was grateful that he remained silent as I wiped away the tears that ran down my cheeks. I closed the book and scooted it over to the side of the bed. I looked back to him and his curiosity was back. "The last time we met was nearly a hundred years ago and yet… you are unchanged. Even among the Dúnedain, that is unheard of."

"It is not because of the ring I carry, if that is your concern," I said.

"Then what allows you remain unchanging?"

"I am a kind of immortal," I responded quietly. "You may ask Lord Elrond to explain it to you. I don't believe I have enough breath to do it myself today."

"I have never heard of a daughter of Man being immortal," he scoffed.

"I am no daughter of Man. Not anymore. I haven't been for over a thousand years." I tried to adjust my body so that I was a little more comfortable. My chest hurt badly.

"A thousand years? And no one has heard of you before?" Thranduil looked very skeptical.

"I lived very quietly in Dale for 350 years," I pointed out. "I don't like attention where it isn't needed."

He craned his head to the side and I shifted slightly. He seemed to be considering his next question when I turned to the door and saw Elladan and Elrohir there.

"Daenerys! You're awake!"

"How do you feel?"

"Are you breathing all right?"

"Do you need anything?"

I smiled and coughed instead of laughing. I nodded at their questions.

"I am much better than I was with a spearhead in my chest," I replied between soft pants. My vision was starting to darken again because I had been spending so much time speaking. I was getting tired. "It is still hard to breathe but I will regain my strength, I'm sure of it."

"Have you been awake long? You should not be talking so much! You are too weak to be doing anything more than resting," said Elladan as he put his fingers against my forehead and Thranduil was standing to leave.

"My apologies. I did not mean to tire her so with conversation. I will take my leave and speak with Lord Elrond," he said as he began to walk out the door, he turned briefly before making his final exit, "I will send Maedros to keep her company. He was most concerned for her wellbeing these last few days."

When he was out of the room, Elrohir came to sit next to me in the abandoned chair.

"He was not bothering you, was he?" the concerned dark-haired Elf asked. I shook my head.

"No, I think he was concerned in his own way," I replied softly. "Will you both sing for me? I would find some peace in my sleep if I were to hear something sweet before I dream."

I fell back into darkness while they sang and enjoyed the melody they wove for me. My dreams were sweet and full of light. I was dreaming of a field full of wildflowers and the air was sweet with honeysuckle. The skies were clear and blue and I was laying amidst this field in one of my finer dresses. The sun was warm upon my flesh. It took a bit of an odd turn when I turned my head to the right and saw intense blue eyes staring back into mine. That woke me and I tried to sit up. I regretted it immediately. I put a hand to my chest and grimaced as I realized that there was blood seeping from the dressing. I wasn't sure if I had the lungs for calling out and no one was in the room with me now. It was dark outside and I wasn't sure how long I'd been sleeping.

Though it hurt, I pulled the covers from my body and forced myself to sit up and then stand. Without drinking blood, I was weakened. I would be healing at a human rate for now, if not slower. I suddenly wished I had divulged that to Lord Elrond when I told him about my abilities. I carefully started walking to the basin across from my bed. I was sweating from the effort of walking that short distance and my breath was heavy. There were fresh dressings lying next to the pitcher of water. I got dizzy and fell short of my mark. I fell to my knees just a few feet away from my goal and started crawling to the basin, one hand still trying to staunch the bleeding. I must have moved wrong in my sleep for the wound to be bleeding this way.

I reached up and blindly grabbed for one of the dressings folded neatly above me. I fell to the floor and turned myself over to my back. I could feel myself starting to pass out as I pulled the drenched fabric from my wound and finally got to see what it looked like. It was jagged and just above my right breast. It was larger and angrier than I had expected it to be. I pressed the new fabric to my wound and moaned in pain. I was close to blacking out completely when I heard a voice muttering in irritation and arms lifting me up and placing me back into the bead. Behind that voice, I heard another asking questions in Elvish with a clearly distressed tone. Hands pressed the dressing and tied it to my wound. I thought I saw Maedros at my other side.

"She is too headstrong to be left on her own in this state. You will stay here with her until you are relieved by another, Maedros. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my King."

* * *

I was told they had to give me some herbal tea that made me sleep for most of my recovery after that night. I didn't remember much of those first few days. I was prone to trying to walk before I was healthy enough to do so. That last night that I remember was almost three weeks ago. I was doing much better now, able to sit up and talk and sing. Maedros, Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir and Anwe would take turns watching over me during the day and night. I was the most difficult patient that Lord Elrond had ever treated, I was sure. I was playing some random notes on the piano that Maedros had just brought me to. He sat next to Anwe, excited at the prospect of my singing him a new song. I'd been promising to sing something for days.

I'd thought about playing Behind Blue Eyes but I was not sure that I wanted something so melancholy. As I laid my fingers on the keys, I noted that Legolas had joined the other two. I had been undecided at first but decided on a jaunty tune. One that I had taught to the twins a few years ago. They were joining us so I waived them over to ask if they would help me with it. They were quite enthusiastic about it. I put my hands to the keys and played the opening chords before I started singing with them as my backup to the tune of Happy by Pherrell Williams. As I played, I saw the Lord Elrond and King Thranduil in the doorway to the open music area. The song was over all too quickly and I was asked to sing another, if I could bear it. I could see the absolute delight in Maedros' eyes when I nodded.

"The both of you are welcome to listen, if you are interested," I called to the two Elf lords on the periphery. They looked at one another before coming closer, Thranduil preferring to stand while Elrond took a seat. I began playing one that I'd never played for anyone here before and let myself get lost in the music of 100 Years by Five for Fighting. Then I segued into Walking on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox. By the end of that song, I was having a little more trouble breathing.

"I think that is enough for today, Daenerys. Though the music was beautiful, you should not strain yourself," Elrond admonished gently as he came over and rested a hand on my shoulder. I nodded and smiled sheepishly.

"I've been going crazy being confined to that room and since no one will let me out or even _walk_ on my own," I gave a pointed stare at Maedros at that point, who gave a soft smile and maintained an innocent face, "I wanted to play some music that didn't require me to be in bed all day long. I've been wanting to teach some new songs to some of our guests."

"That is understandable. However, your recovery has been difficult these last few weeks. I would see you rest more."

"Very well. As long as you don't give me those herbs that put me to sleep. I'd like to remember something about this week," I joked. I started to stand and Maedros was about to pick me up but stopped. I turned to see that Thranduil was there instead.

"I will take you back to your room, if that is all right?" I was a little surprised but nodded. I was confused on his interest in me, aside from the ring, Itarille. Perhaps it was a fascination at how someone who looks mortal could be immortal? As he placed one arm behind my back and the other swept me off my feet, I decided that was probably it and wrapped my left arm over his shoulder out of habit. I waved to the others, who were already beginning to leave. Maedros was chatting with the twins excitedly, clapping in time with them. He was learning Happy, from what I could see. I had to smile at his enthusiasm. It was a relatively long walk from my room to where the piano was set up but his long stride cut that down a fair bit.

"So…" I hedged. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you help the Dwarves?" I blurted out. It was a question that burned within me for fifty years and I needed to know the answer. His steps faltered until he was standing still. The hallway we were in was deserted. Our eyes were at an even level. "The Dwarves from Erebor, I heard that you turned them away. Why?"

"I do not have to explain such things to you," his tone was clipped as he began walking again. His arms were slightly rigid now.

"I know that there has always been hostility between Dwarves and Elves but it's not something I really understand," I said softly, "Especially since they had just been through a terrible attack."

"Thrór brought that dragon down on himself. I warned him what would come if he should continue with his greed but he would not hear it," came the icy reply. We were going to be at my room in just a few minutes.

"I don't see how that answers my question," I murmured.

"As I said, I do not have to explain such things to you." He entered my room and gently lay me on the bed, though he did not pull the covers over me. He gave me a stiff nod and headed for the door.

"I was raped by Marcus, the vampire from the story I told in your halls," my voice was quiet but held a challenge. He stopped and turned to me with slightly widened eyes. This was something I hadn't even told Elrond about myself. "He did it because of a choice I made to become a Lycan long before then. Does that mean I brought it down upon myself?"

"No woman brings such a thing upon herself," he sounded truly horrified at that question.

"No Elf, Man or Dwarf deserves the ruin that a dragon brings," I countered. "No matter how much gold they had. That could not have been the reason that you denied them assistance."

He came to stand beside my bed. I had to crane my neck quite far to see his eyes. "There are gems in the mountain," Thranduil began, "that are heirlooms of my people. Long ago, I had commissioned a necklace, among other things, to be made with those gems for my wife. Thrór's greed was great and he made the necklace but kept it in his horde. He claimed the payment for the work was not enough and kept the jewels. I desire to have them back."

"Does your wife still desire that necklace?" I asked. There was a fierce and painful look upon his face.

"She was killed after I had requested the commission but before it was finished. By Orcs in Gundabad," he spoke lowly. This seemed to drain him slightly of that inner light I always saw in Elves. "I will speak of it no more."

"I understand," I replied and he nodded, knowing that I spoke that truth more than others could boast. "Thank you for carrying me, Thranduil."

He gave a silent nod and then went to the door, looking for something. "Do you still require that I send someone to watch over you or will you promise not to overextend yourself?"

"I'll rest. I am tired enough, I think, that I will sleep long tonight."

He left then and I laid in the sheets that I pulled around my body. I was tired, physically and emotionally. I wanted nothing more than to sleep and so I did, curled into the covers in a fetal position with all the blankets wrapped around me. I woke the next morning to the sheets tangled about my legs. I was able to get out of bed after a moment to do my business and to wash my face. Elladan and Elrohir came by with breakfast and it wasn't long before I was laughing at their antics. Today, they were debating the meaning of the song Telephone by Lady Gaga. I tried to explain what a telephone was but the idea of a device being able to send and receive a voices over vast distances was impossible to them. They would have to see it working to believe it.

"Ah! Daenerys! We almost forgot! Mithrandir is here for a celebration we are having. He arrived last night and he is interested in meeting with you," Elrohir smiled.

"Who is Mithrandir?" I asked in confusion. It wasn't a name I'd heard before.

"He is also known as Gandalf the Grey," Elladan supplied. "He is one of the Istari, a Wizard. He spoke with our father and would like to meet with you this afternoon, if that is all right?"

"I see no reason why I shouldn't," I smiled. "What is the celebration for?"

"Nost-na-Lothion. Did you forget?" laughed Elrohir. I nodded and rubbed my forehead absently.

"It is easy to forget what days and months are passing when you are ill," I replied. "What is Gandalf doing for the celebration?"

"He has brought his fireworks for this year's celebration. His are the best fireworks you could ever find. He uses his magic to make them come to life like no other!"

I smiled and nodded. "I look forward to seeing them, then. It's been too long since I've seen good fireworks."

They visited for a short while longer but had to leave. They had duties to attend to that they'd been neglecting to keep me company. I was reading a book I'd borrowed from Elrond's extensive library when I heard a knock at the door. I was sitting in a chair on the balcony and I called for them to come in. I waited patiently and found that Elrond, Thranduil and an older man were coming to stand before me. I made a move to stand but the old man chuckled and put his free hand up while the other grasped a staff. He had a long grey beard, long, tangled grey hair and grey robes stained with travel.

"No need to stand, my dear. I have heard that you are still recovering from a terrible wound, is that right?"

"Yes, it is. I'm Daenerys. Pleased to meet you," I held out my hand and he grasped it and shook it gently.

"I am Gandalf the Grey," he introduced himself. "I have heard you are a musician. There are many good things that the sons of Elrond have said about your music."

"It isn't _my_ music, I sing the songs that I loved from home. There are too many for me to count and many more that I miss. I would be happy to sing for you this evening, after the meal?"

"I would be delighted."

"Perhaps she would grace us with a story as well. She seems to have many," Thranduil had a slight smirk on his face at that. So, he wants a story? I'd give him one. I narrowed my eyes a fraction and then smiled sweetly.

"I could sing a song for you now, if you like. It's quite an entertaining song where I come from. It has kings, princesses and dragons in it," I suggested. He gestured for me to continue and so I put the book down to my side.

"In days of old, when knights were bold there lived a fearsome dragon!

And the king, he was in great distress, and the country's spirits a laggin'

Until one day there came a knight, he was handsome, bold and charming!

And he slew the dragon with his sword and a smile that was so disarming!

With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no, and a smile that was so disarming!

The king wished to know his name

But the knight said do not bother!

"For the name of any knight," said he, "is the same as any other!"

The king replied, "In my daughter's bed tonight you'll take your leisure.

And you'll be rewarded for your deed with a night of exotic pleasure!"

With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no, with a night of exotic pleasure!

One daughter, she had flowing hair, was a maiden young and chaste!

And she sleeps all night in the pale moonlight naked to her waist!

The other daughter was so fair, the fairest in the town!

And she sleeps all night in the pale moonlight, naked from her small waist down!

With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no, naked from her small waist down!

The knight he stayed for many hours behind the castle walls.

But the ending to this story is not what it seems at all.

For neither bed of either maid was he repaid for his glory…

Cause he slept all night with the king instead, for this is a fairy story!

With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no, for this is a fairy story!"

I had a satisfied smirk on my face at the Elf-king's surprised parted lips. A jovial laugh left the wizard's mouth and amusement was on Elrond's face. I decided not to mention that Elves were considered fairies of a type in my world. That might have made things a little less jovial than they already were. I silently thanked the LimeyBirds for having found such a great song.

"I've never heard the like before!" Gandalf laughed.

"I have more like it," I grinned. I decided I was going to like Gandalf.

"I look forward to hearing more," he responded and they took their leave, Thranduil giving an irritated glance back. I winked. I think I liked pushing his buttons. After the evening meal, I sang another song and was enjoying myself speaking with the others when that pain I was familiar with started burning into my chest and my left arm.

"No, no, no…" I muttered as I stared at the foreign words started appearing on my arm and the burning and freezing feeling showed up on my chest. I backed away from the twins as they tried to step forward to stop me from getting too far. I held up my right hand and I knew panic was thick in my eyes. "Stay back!"

"What is going on here?" Gandalf rose up with a furrowed brow.

"Stay back!" I groaned as darkness crowded my vision. For the first time since I was first pulled through, my left arm broke audibly and I screamed in pain. I fell to my knees and spied the black portal opening up behind me. I was being pulled towards it slowly. The spot on my chest where the pendant had laid so many years ago burned brightly and I clawed at it with my right hand. I heard Gandalf chanting in some language and the sensation I was feeling grew hotter and hotter. I couldn't even voice my pain anymore. I was in agony. Then the pain in my chest was gone and the portal diminished to nothing. I cradled my broken arm to my chest and choked back the sob that tried to break free.

"What is going on here?" Gandalf repeated as he came over to examine the spot where I should have fallen from this world to my own. He came to examine me as well and I didn't think as I waved my hand and he flew back. My left arm was likely completely crushed. I felt like there was only gravel where bone should have been. What's more, I could feel something wrong inside of me, like something had been torn with the strain of my body being pulled in two directions. I don't know how I managed to make it to my feet but I was running for the balcony before anyone could stop me. I threw myself over and struggled to concentrate enough to make myself fly. I managed to get myself into a steady floating position just a few feet above the waterfall that was directly below me. My clothing was sprayed with the fine mist that was created and I let that soothe me before I set my sights to the forest and shot forward. I needed blood. I was craving it, truly _craving_ it for the first time since my arrival.

I don't think I strayed too far from Rivendell as I fell through the trees, unable to keep myself aloft for more than a moment or two. I don't know how long I blacked out for when I hit the ground. A whimper left me as I struggled to my feet. My instincts took over without my permission. My skin changed, my eyes, my teeth, my hands. Everything I was became the Hybrid hunter within and I scented the air. I could smell all sorts of smaller animals but they wouldn't be nearly enough to slake my thirst. I ran through the woods, trying to catch on something bigger. I smelled a deer and my mouth watered at the prospect of the feeding I would be able to do. I tracked the deer until I finally caught sight of it. I was quiet. Hunting. I was so close. I was ready to pounce when a sound frightened my prey. A scent that tickled at my mind as being familiar floated on the air. I inhaled deeply and my inner beast demanded I follow it but there was no need. It was following _me._

I could hear footsteps behind me and my human mind tried to make itself known. My hunger denied it the satisfaction. I turned slowly to see who had found me cocked my head to the side at the familiar Elf. My human mind was horrified that it was Elrond. He called out to what sounded like a search party that he had found me, or at least that was what I thought it was in Elvish. My left arm remained tucked against my chest as he approached cautiously. He was speaking to others in that Elvish tongue and I scented there were several others on the way. I was surrounded. I remained in place, not making threatening moves and he tried to do the same. I could tell that he was speaking the common tongue now but the words were beyond me. I was beyond reason. All I knew was hunger now.

Trees and flowers. That delicious scent made me growl low in my throat. My inner beast begged me to follow that scent and when I stepped in that direction, I was met with the drawn arrows of Elladan and Elrohir. They looked confused and a bit horrified by my appearance and my behavior. I turned back to Elrond and cocked my head to the side. Even my beast counted him and his sons as safe. Unless they loosed their arrows. The scent that distracted me only moments ago was stronger now. I inhaled deeply and turned to see intense blue eyes staring at me. I cocked my head to the other side and sniffed the air. It was _him._ I growled low in my throat again and bared my teeth. He lifted his sword with one hand, body in a readied position. I crouched low, examining him. Their weapons would be trivial issues to me. They bows and arrows flew from the twins' hands and the swords from Elrond's hand and Thranduil's.

I sprung forward and landed on my mark. The blond Elf-king struggled with me and he was strong. I hissed when he pinned me to the ground for a moment. My prey had bested me? No, I would not have this. He flew back at my whim and then I was on him. He reached his hands up to defend himself but it was useless. I pinned his arms above his head with my good hand before I lowered the tip of my nose to his neck. He struggled but could not free himself. I closed my eyes and took in the scent my beast was clamoring for. I dragged my nose to the other side of his neck to take in the scent there. I found it to be intoxicating. I pulled face back, temporarily confused, and stared him in the eye. Something about him, about his scent was bringing me back to myself. He was staring at me in defiance and unblinking. I fought for control of my body. I leaped from his chest in one powerful bound. I pressed my hand against the side of my head before I ran in the direction I saw the deer flee. I found it quickly and fed deeply. The bone in my arm was mending and the wound in my chest was diminishing.

Elrond's party found me before I was even half finished with the poor creature and my arm was starting to regain its proper shape. When I let that poor beast fall to the ground, there was not a drop of blood in its body. I stood from the animal and felt sick as I stumbled back and leaned on the tree behind me. _I almost killed them,_ I thought in horror. I covered my face with my hands and slid down to the ground in shame. I'd never been ashamed of my nature before now. No one approached me until my skin had returned to pink and my claws were fingers again. A gentle hand touched my shoulder and I turned away. The hand didn't go away. When I finally had the courage to look up, it was Elrohir there. Thranduil was looking at me in suspicion and I couldn't bear the weight of the stare.

"He should have let it take me," I whispered. Gandalf was coming up to the group and I looked at him in grief. "You should have let it take me."

"We have no way of knowing where that would have taken you," he responded gently. He had not been in the clearing where I'd attacked the others.

"It might have taken me home. To my children. To my family," I was trying to hold back the tidal wave of emotion that was threatening to overtake me. I looked to Thranduil and felt my shame rise again. I started shaking as the enormity of what I'd done hit me. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, God, what have I done?"


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. I also don't own _My Immortal_ by Evanescence. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 23

I remained silent for days, staring forlornly out to the waterfall across from my balcony. Nothing that the twins could say or do could make me smile. No words of wisdom from Arwen could sway me. Elrond was pleased that I was healed physically, but there was nothing he could do to heal my heard. The celebration went as was planned and it was that night I made the decision to leave Rivendell. Elrond had been generous and Thranduil, though still angry, had stopped by once. I refused to see him. I couldn't bear the thought that I had almost killed him. One night, I packed a bag with my most precious possessions and stepped off the balcony. I flew high into the sky and saw Rivendell as no Elf or Man had ever seen it. It was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined and I wondered why I hadn't done this sooner.

I headed east. I rose so high up into the sky that I was glad I'd dressed in my warmest clothes. I flew until long after the sun had risen. It wasn't until I touched down on the other side of the Misty Mountains, north of the woods of Lothlórien, that I finally let myself feel what had been welling up inside of me. Despair gripped me and I wept. Whatever Gandalf had done to stop me from leaving, I feared it would prevent me from ever going back to Sunnydale. And I'd attacked a King of Elves. Regardless of the fact that he tried to speak with me on the matter, I couldn't forgive myself. I was always so careful. The first time I'd smelled an Elf in Dale, I had been driven to locate that delicious and sweet scent. I'd wanted to taste and see if the blood was as sweet as the scent but refrained with great effort. I'd bought a bolt of fabric that had come from the Elves the next day and used it to desensitize myself to them.

Years passed and I lived in the wilds alone, for the most part. I met up with the Rangers of the North on several occasions and they accepted me to their ranks. They trained me in their ways and I was given the name Duvaineth, which meant beautiful darkness as they told me. I studied Elvish and I learned how to survive on my own from them. I was with them for three decades and then I disappeared back into the forests. I traveled far and wide in Middle Earth. I returned to Dale for a time and just wandered the empty streets that had once been so familiar to me. I was on foot, heading for Lake-town when I saw the smoking ruins of a troupe of men and women in the road. The broken arrow shafts and wounds I saw on the bodies were that of Orcs. I heard a muffled voice crying beneath the body of a woman and that was when I found the boy. His name was Arradir. I took him with me to the Lake-town and discovered that he had no kin there. He was perhaps five years old and I decided that I would raise him.

I taught the boy everything I knew. I taught him how to fight and how to be a good man. I was glad to see him become a husband, then a father. He would bring his children to see me on the outskirts of the town. I was an oddity to them but as I was quiet and caused no trouble, I was left to my own devices. The day Arradir became a grandfather was the day that it was discovered that Bard, a bargeman who had two daughters and a son, had smuggled thirteen Dwarves and a hobbit into the town. I knew what it meant. They were going to try and take back the mountain. It had been 121 years since I'd thought of the dragon. 121 years since my question to Thranduil when he carried me to my room to rest. The regret surged through me again as I thought of the beautiful Elf-king. I'd had so much time to try and figure out why I hadn't killed him and fed from him and I had come to a conclusion that surprised me: I was either infatuated with him or had started falling for him. I convinced myself that part of it was because of his beauty. I'd never seen anything like him before and was sure I'd never see anything like him again if I left. I'd relinquished the idea that I would be with Lucian again. We'd been parted for so long that although I loved him, I was sure he'd moved on by now.

I watched as Thorin Oakenshield stood before the people of Lake-town and spoke. I listened to his words and the applause people gave when he raised up their spirits. I was silent while the Master of Lake-town provided them with swords and axes. Arradir found me in the crowd as I headed back to the small home I'd raised him in.

"You think something's going to happen." His statement was very finite and his eyes lined with worry. I nodded as we walked.

"They will disturb Smaug and he will come here in retribution. Get your family to safety now. Head for Dale and I will meet you there four days hence. We will take refuge there until the assault is over and then I will guide you to Rohan. Make haste!" I went inside the house and started packing. The process didn't take long. I'd spent the last hundred years honing my abilities all over again. I'd learned to _truly_ multitask. I taught myself to wield so many blades around me at once that I was like a walking army unto myself. I'd learned to lift boulders and ancient fallen trees. I had even tortured myself so that I could learn to use my abilities while in excruciating pain. It was all worth it in the end. I was ready for anything now, save for a dragon. I had no idea if my ability could let me hold back dragon flames or how that would even work and I was not willing to risk it.

I made my way to Arradir's home and found my grandchildren and great-grandchildren waiting there. I helped them pack what they needed and gave them instructions on where to head and how to get there. I would stay behind to keep an eye on the Dwarves until their departure, which was likely to be sooner than later. They left quietly and under cover of night. The men on the watch did not question their leaving. A few others had the same idea. The next morning, most of Thorin's Company had departed by boat. Four remained behind. I heard someone say that one of them was sick. I was outside preparing my small boat to leave in two days when I heard the sound of heavy feet on wood. I poked my head up and my eyes widened at the Orcs that were swarming through town, heading directly for Bard's home. I ran into my house and grabbed my sword and dagger. I ran hard but didn't make it there before they had already broken into the house. I saw a red haired Elf fighting ahead of me and stopped with surprise when I saw a familiar blond Elf in her company.

"Legolas," I breathed and threw a dagger into the head of an Orc that was running up behind him. He looked to see the quivering creature on the ground and then spotted me. I saw his eyes narrow and his face darken. We dealt with the Orcs quickly and he pursued several to the outer edge of Lake-town but I didn't follow. I checked to make sure Bain and his sisters were all right and then I headed back to my own house. Legolas dropped down in front of me before I could reach my destination. He had a blade to my throat and a penetrating glare.

"Why should I not kill you where you stand?" he asked. His voice was heavy with threat.

"Because you cannot possibly make me feel any worse over my actions than I have made myself feel since," I answered honestly. I was genuinely surprised when he lowered his sword.

"My father wished to speak with you but you left."

"I had to leave. I couldn't stay, not after what I'd done. But that is neither here nor there. What brings you to Lake-town?"

"Tauriel and I were tracking Orcs that came through Mirkwood after the Dwarves."

"The Dwarves, save a few, are on their way to the mountain. They will wake the dragon, whether they mean to or not and I fear this town will be destroyed," I told him "I have sent my family to Dale to take refuge before the beast comes."

"Family?" I could see the surprise in the Elf's eyes.

"I adopted a boy many years ago. He is a grandfather now," I explained. He gave me a curt nod and I gestured back to Bard's home. "You have other things to be concerned with right now. If Thranduil still wishes to speak with me, I will journey to see him."

He nodded and turned towards the house. He had more Orcs to slay. Upon returning home, I began to pack my things again. I had much work to do and not a whole lot of time to do it in. By the next night, I was ready to leave and I did. I sailed to the far shore where paths to Dale lay and carried my supplies to the great hall where I'd told Arradir to lay down his camp. They were somewhat confused but did as I told them. I walked to the battlements and laid eyes upon the walls of Erebor for the first time in over 200 years. It looked mostly unchanged save the hole in the gates where the dragon first forced its way in. A small tear fell down my cheek at the sight. It was close to nightfall now and I felt a tremble in the ground.

"Smaug is awake," I muttered with a frown. "They have found a way into the mountain."

I watched tensely and I cried out to Arradir to make sure the family was hiding as I saw a red drake burst from the hole in the gates and fly towards Lake-town. I was torn for a moment but knew I could do nothing. Dragons were best killed by black arrows and I had none. I could not fight such a terrible enemy. I could only watch as the town was brought to ruin. Then, as though my thoughts of the black arrow had summoned it, the terrible dragon fell into the lake with a horrible cry.

Over the next few days, pieces of the town and people washed upon the shores and I went to greet them and provide aid. I instructed Arradir to make the city of Dale as ready to take refugees as he could with the family. Bard took charge and I gave him advice when he asked it of me. I didn't have much to give and told him that he would know what to do. I would follow his lead, wherever it might take us. We learned quickly that the Dwarves in the mountain had survived Smaug and I was somewhat relieved about that. I asked Bard if he wanted me to go there and try to speak with them but he said that it was his job to do so and that he would do it in a few days' time. The next morning, as I aided some of the injured with their bindings, I saw our new leader looking for me.

"Duvaineth," I heard Bard call to me and I came. "I require your assistance!"

"What do you need?" I asked as I came over.

"An army of Elves has gathered over the night within the city and I know you have had dealings with them before," he told me.

"It is true," I confirmed.

"I would have you come with me to speak to the Elven-king. Arradir tells me that you have met him before."

"I do not believe that is a good idea, Bard."

"I don't understand."

"Thranduil and I have met before but I do not believe that it is a good idea that I come with you to meet with him. I will see him later but you must go alone first."

"Why?"

"Our last encounter was less than ideal," I gave him a grim smile and then patted him on the shoulder. "I will go to meet him in a while."

Although I could tell that he was still wanting my assistance, he nodded. He left and I watched as the ranks of Elves would move in perfect unison so that he could make his way through. I watched his progress and felt my breath hitch at the sight of Thranduil, in full dress for battle save for a helmet. Okay, so I had a definite thing for him. I swallowed and the memory of that defiant look on his face returned in full force. I closed my eyes and turned away when I thought I saw him glance in my direction. When I looked back, he was in deep conversation with Bard and I heaved a sigh of relief. I watched as a golden tent was set up and Thranduil retired to it, Bard not far behind. They had much to discuss. I turned back to assisting the injured for several more hours.

I would look upon the tent occasionally and when Bard left, I gave my task to another that was able to take it over. I felt a little self-conscious and nervously wondered if I should have braided my hair back instead of leaving it free-flowing. I sighed and made my way to the Elf I'd been purposefully avoiding. When he saw me enter the tent, his hand strayed to the blade at his waist but did not pull it. Bard must have seen me and came in after me. I did not turn to greet him.

"My Lord Thranduil, this is Duvaineth, the woman I spoke of."

"I know this woman as Daenerys. We have much to speak of, if you will excuse us."

Bard looked between us and saw how tense things were. He was about to say more and stepped forward when I raised my hand.

"Bard, you have more to be concerned about than what transpires here. See to the people. They need you," I told him softly. "I will be fine."

He gave me a hard look before nodding and leaving. Thranduil commanded that the flaps be closed and that none may enter until his order. We were alone at last. I had come to stand in the middle of the tent and he gave me a narrow-eyed stare as he walked around me slowly. Without warning, his blade was at my throat and I closed my eyes. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew that this was a likely scenario.

 _"You nearly killed me when we last met,"_ he said in Elvish.

 _"It was not my intention. Gandalf's spell nearly killed me. I am only grateful that I was able to stop before I hurt anyone."_

 _"You drank the blood of that deer. Why?"_

 _"It healed me of my wounds. If I had not fed on it, I might have died."_

 _"Tell me then, why attack me?"_

"It was not my intention," I repeated. "Gandalf's spell caused me to lose control of a part of myself that I do not show often because it would be considered dark or foul by some here. That part of me is pure instinct. I only attacked at first because that part of me saw you as threatening."

"And Elrond was not?" he challenged. He had not removed his blade from my throat.

"He was less of a threat than you. Elrond knew what I was and had seen me in that state, more or less. You had not. Even in that state, I knew that was a dangerous fact."

"Then why did you not kill me?" This was the answer he sought from me and I knew it would either push his hand forward to cleave my head from my body or to sheathe his sword instead. I paused and gathered my thoughts.

"I honestly have no answer for that. I think it was because…" I blushed for the first time in centuries, "I think it was because I enjoyed your scent."

"My scent?" he questioned. An eyebrow quirked.

"The woods in the springtime and fresh flowers," I murmured. "It was that scent that allowed me to… wake up, if you like."

"How do I know you will not attempt such a thing again?" His eyes were that glorious blue, flashing with power. He was thousands of years old and I could see those years reflected in those intense depths.

"I don't feed on blood if I can avoid it. You have your proof, if you can see it. After the spearhead was removed and Elrond healed me of the poison, I could have gone to the forest and fed. I _chose_ not to. Blood isn't what sustains me unless I want it to."

He studied me for a moment. I didn't move and neither did he. When he sheathed the weapon, I did not move for a long moment.

"Why are you here? You have no business with the Dwarves."

"I raised a boy I found on the road many years ago. I have been protecting him and his family these many years in Lake-town."

"You have been there all these long years?"

"For many of them, yes. His name is Arradir," I softened at the thought of the man who had been an impressionable, quiet child. I turned to a mask of determination. "His grandchildren are in the remains of the great hall. One of them was only born a few days ago. I will not see harm come to them."

"Very well. I will not stand in your way." He waved to the flaps of the tent and I stayed rooted to the ground. "Is there something more?"

"I see that you are ready for war with the Dwarves," I stated quietly. "Why not try to reach a settlement with Thorin? Surly he is more reasonable than his forefathers."

"Perhaps. Bard will be riding to see if the Dwarves are willing to come to terms with us on the morrow. We will see then."

"I will be back tomorrow morning, then." I gave a slight nod to him before leaving and went to where Arradir had placed my traveling pack. It was nearly nightfall and I was exhausted. I would be sleeping deeply tonight to be ready for what may come. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. My dreams were chaotic at first. Then I dreamed of Sunnydale. A memory of it, at any rate. I was dreaming of my fourth month in Sunnydale. I knew that because I hadn't felt like a walking house yet and my belly was the right size for it. I was at the grocery store, at a time when I could still eat regular food. I'd been craving chocolate ice cream and bacon for hours and when I finally had both, plus my regular groceries, I'd come up short on the total. I'd been resigned to having to put the ice cream back when a man in line behind me had paid. I'd thought him to be very handsome and had given him a brilliant smile for his help. As the dream continued, I realized I saw something very familiar in this man.

He was tall, a good foot taller than me. He had blond hair that had been tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck, pale and creamy skin. His blue eyes had been so penetrating that I'd almost been uncomfortable with it. He had even called me a cab to help me take home my groceries so that I wouldn't have to walk it. He paid the driver for me in advance and I had tried to object. I'd been impressed at the time but so many of my thoughts were of Lucian at the time that this memory was almost forgotten. He'd given me a strange smile at the time and I'd just returned it without thought and to thank him for his generosity I had pulled him down for a peck on the cheek.

I woke from the dream in confusion. _Was that Thranduil? In Sunnydale? That's impossible. This is a different world from that one._ I shook my head and stood up from my bedroll. I must have taken his face and placed it on that of the kind stranger. Besides, that man didn't have the leaf-shaped ears of an elf. They were human. I dressed quickly and peeked outside. It was still dark and yet there were people gathering in the square. I grabbed someone and stopped them as they were walking forward with a sword.

"What's going on?" I asked. He stopped and pointed to the mountain.

"Bard went to talk to the Dwarves yesterday to request what they promised. Thorin has refused. We are going to war," he told me as he continued towards the square. My shoulders sagged at that. I didn't know these particular Dwarves but I sympathized with them. I would have to stand on the side of my adopted family. They were what was important here. I marched down to the square and saw that the swords were being sharpened and the men were training for battle. Most of them had never seen a real sword fight. I was about to head through to Bard, to see if there was anything he wanted me to do when I heard a horse galloping through the city and a voice crying out for people to make way. I turned and my eyes widened as I saw Gandalf the Grey dismounting his horse. _For Pete's sake!_

Alfrid, the sniveling helper to the Master of Lake-town, had decided to try and turn the wizard around, not knowing who he was talking to. "No, no, no! Oi! You! Pointy hat!" When Gandalf turned, he spied me and registered surprise but then turned his attention to the weasel. "Yes, you! We don't want no tramps, beggars nor vagabonds 'round here! We got enough trouble without the likes of you. Off you go! On your horse."

"Who's in charge here?" came the gruff question in response. He gave me a glance and I shook my head. Bard came around the corner, having heard Alfrid and deciding to silence the slimy man.

"Who is asking?" said the tired looking man.

"I am Gandalf the Grey. I come on urgent business. If you are in charge of the Men here, take me to Thranduil and we will talk of important matters."

"Very well," Bard replied and motioned for the wizard to follow but first, he approached me.

"Come, we have things to discuss as well," he said as he took my arm gently. I sighed and followed down to Thranduil's tent. When we entered, he'd changed from his armor to more comfortable robes. He greeted Gandalf and glanced at me but said nothing.

"What brings you here, Mithrandir?"

"You must set aside your petty grievances with the Dwarves," the wizard declared as Bard chose to stand to the side. War is coming. The cesspits of Dol Guldor are coming. You're all in mortal danger!"

I saw the irritation flash upon Thranduil's face and then the amusement that danced upon his features. I found this information disturbing and he thought it was a joke? _What the hell?_ Bard shared my concern and spoke out.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Gandalf didn't have a chance to answer.

"I can see you know nothing of wizards," Thranduil stood and poured wine for himself, for Bard and one for me. I took the glass but did not sip it. "They are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm. But sometimes a storm, is just a storm."

"Not this time," the wizard replied. "Armies of Orcs are on the move. These are fighters. They have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength!"

"Why show his hand now?" the Elf-king asked. I could tell he was bored with this conversation.

"Because we forced him. We forced him when we sent the Company of Thorin Oakenshield to reclaim their homeland. The Dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor. Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master seeks control of the mountain," he replied as he walked out of the tent towards the view of the gates of Erebor. We followed and I placed my glass on a table as I passed it. "Not just for the treasure within but for where it lies, its strategic position. This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north. If that fell kingdom should rise again… Rivendell, Lórien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall."

"These Orc armies you speak of Mithrandir, where are they?" Thranduil's face was more serious now as he asked this question. The wizard's face was grim. He didn't know.

"I know that they are coming from Dol Goldur. I have seen the army of Orcs and Wargs, though I do not know from which direction they will come."

"How can you not know?" I finally asked. Three pairs of eyes settled on me. "If these Orcs are coming, if we are in such danger, how can you not know where that danger lies? We cannot afford to work under the premise that these Orcs are coming without more information. For now, we must concentrate on what is before us. I don't wish for war with the Dwarves over gold but Thorin promised it to the people of Lake-town and has reneged on that promise. These people need that money to rebuild their lives and survive the winter."

"They will not survive the assault if we do not prepare!"

"I have things I must attend to," Bard said, "I would prepare my people for war, regardless of who it is with."

Gandalf started walking back to the tent and I followed behind him and Thranduil. I was trying to rack my brain for some kind of answer to this issue. When we went back inside, the two began discussing the wizard's claim and I was trying to follow. We all argued over the facts for hours, until darkness had fallen. Thranduil had settled into his chair and had been eating grapes and cheese for the last few minutes. He sipped his wine as Gandalf made his arguments. The wizard finally threw his hands up.

"Since when has my counsel counted for so little? What do you think I'm trying to do here?"

"I think you're trying to save your Dwarvish friends. And I admire your loyalty to them. But it does not dissuade me from my course," Thranduil replied and stood, walking to the side of the tent. "You started this, Mithrandir. Forgive me if I finish it. Are the archers in position?"

"Yes, my lord," an Elf outside the tent confirmed.

"Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain, kill it. The Dwarves are out of time."

Gandalf had a look of despair on his face as he turned to Bard, who was speaking with some men just outside of the tent. He went to the bargeman-turned-leader and began to speak with him in urgency. I turned to Thranduil and saw that he looked rather pleased.

"There must be another way," I muttered, my eyes drawn to the mountain.

"There is not," he replied dismissively and returned to his meal.

"You have not tried for another way. I hear from Gandalf that you had the Dwarves imprisoned in your realm when they passed through. Perhaps if you hadn't antagonized them as soon as you saw them, they might have been more inclined to give you what you want or come to settlement. Why are these gems so important to you? Do you not have a son? Is he not more precious than a glittering stone?" I asked. "Because I am here to fight for Arradir and his family. _They_ are more precious to me than the gold in that mountain. They are the legacy I am protecting here."

He rose up with a fire in his eyes. If I'd been younger, I would have been intimidated but I stood fast. He was about to speak when Gandalf interrupted him. He came in with Bard and a small creature I recognized as a Hobbit. He was dressed in the clothes I'm sure he brought with him from the Shire, though they were dirty and stained from travel.

"Bilbo Baggins has come down from the mountain!" Gandalf announced. Thranduil's eyes narrowed and he went to sit in his chair again. Bard took the empty one on the other side of the tent.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the Halfling that stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards," the Elf-king did not look amused as he said this. Bilbo had the sense to look a little reticent.

"Yes. Sorry about that," he replied. Bard and I shared amused glances and then I saw there was no amusement on the blond's face. The Hobbit stepped forward and laid an item wrapped in a burgundy cloth on the table. "I came to give you this."

A jewel was unveiled from the cloth and it was magnificent. It was white and glowed with an inner light. It looked like an opal and I stepped forward to view it better. I'd heard about this gem, though I'd never seen it before. Looking into its depths, I felt like I could see galaxies swirling inside. It was glorious.

"The Heart of the Mountain," Thranduil breathed. He stepped forward to touch it but didn't let his fingers grace the polished surface. I couldn't help but make comparisons to the Heart of the Ocean from the _Titanic_ movie I so dearly missed. I loved that movie. "The King's Jewel."

"And worth a King's ransom," Bard stepped forward as well. "How is this yours to give?"

"I took it as my 14th share of the treasure."

"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty?" the man asked as he stared at the Halfling in wonder.

"I'm not doing it for you. I know that Dwarves can be obstinate, pigheaded and difficult. They're suspicious and secretive with the worst manners you could possibly imagine! But they are also brave and kind… and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them and I would save them if I can. Now, Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war," the innocent creature explained. I finally let myself smile wide for the first time in a while. _This could work. This is what I was wishing for!_ Gandalf led Bilbo from the tent and was speaking quietly with him. Bard had a hopeful look on his face and bade a good night to us as he left as well.

"We could make the Jewels of Lasgalen part of the deal," I said as I stared down at the Arkenstone. "You would have those jewels you covet so dearly and then you would have no reason to be angry with Dwarves."

"A fool's hope," Thranduil replied. He sat down and stared at the jewel and then looked at me. "Why do you care so much for the Dwarves? You have not met this group and yet you are trying so hard to help them."

"Because it's the right thing to do. Gandalf is right, there is no need for war between Elves, Men and Dwarves. The world I came from is fraught with fighting over stupid reasons and I would prefer not to see such things happen here."

"Men and Dwarves are mortal. Their workings are of no concern to me."

"No. I suppose you wouldn't be concerned with people who die after only one hundred years of life. Or people who die after two or three hundred years. But I do. I was mortal once."

"You?" he seemed curious now. "You were mortal?"

"Did Elrond not tell you?"

"He told me a little of what you were."

"I wasn't always a predatory creature." I stepped forward and though his eyes widened at the sight, I pulled my shirt open slightly and exposed my left shoulder. I gestured for him to come closer and pointed to a jagged scar that had faded over time. "This is called an origin scar. It was where I was bitten by Lucian to become a Lycan. I was made into this but I was born _human_."

He examined the scar carefully and glanced at me for permission before touching his fingers to the dimpled flesh. I felt a jolt of something akin to excitement rush from the contact but did not move. He probed the scar from where it had healed oddly all those years ago. His eyes were drawn to the exposed flesh where the spearhead had penetrated my chest and he raised an eyebrow as he captured my eyes.

"Why is there no scar from this wound?" he asked.

"Because I don't get scars anymore. Every one that I have is from before I was changed." I adjusted my shirt again, rolling my eyes at the look of scandal I saw on a passing Man's face when he had peeked into the tent. I turned away from him and was about to walk away. "I will see you at dawn. I will be riding with you and Bard to the gates to see this done. Good night, Thranduil."

As I was walking back to my camp I spotted a familiar face. Maedros was amongst a battalion of Elves armed with arrows and swords. They were heading out to the great field before the mountain to keep watch and assure that no one else attempted to break free from the mountain. I didn't call out to him but waived and saw him smile behind his helmet. I was glad to see him again. I regretted not getting to say goodbye the last time. I was too full of excitement to sleep that night, and so I kept checking on Arradir and his children and grandchildren. He had four sons and one daughter. His sons were among those who were training to fight in the potential battle to come and their wives were tending to their children. He had nine grandchildren all under the age of twelve. I ensured that everyone had been fed and tucked into bed. When dawn was approaching, I walked to where the Elf-king and the former bargeman were speaking in hushed tones.

"You will not be coming with us," Bard told me as soon as I reached them. I raised an eyebrow.

"You can't _prevent_ me from coming with you."

"I'm asking that you please honor this request."

"No. I will be coming with you, even if I have to go over your heads," I crossed my arms and stood with one hip out to the side. The man's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Without a word, I began to float above the ground and then higher and higher until men and women who saw me were openly pointing and crying out in fear. I lowered myself back to the ground and gave him a pointed look.

"I will be coming along. I won't be hiding with the women and children. Do not argue with me, Bard."

"And what purpose will it serve to have you there?" Thranduil challenged.

"Only time will tell," I responded and then grabbed a horse from where one was stabled. Thranduil mounted his elk and Bard took a stallion with a sideways glance at me. We rode together, Thranduil and Bard in the front while I trailed behind. I had several daggers, the sword I'd carried from Elladan and Elrohir as their gift to me, a bow and a quiver full of arrows. I was ready to fight, if I must. When we arrived at the gates, I looked up to the Dwarves and saw that there were thirteen of them. Even in this world, that is an unlucky number. That must have been why they drafted Bilbo. I was amazed by the way the Elves moved as one perfect unit. The elegance was staggering to behold. As we drew closer, the Dwarf wearing a crown that was styled to look like two ravens meeting beak to beak nocked and loosed an arrow at the elk's feet. Thranduil looked slightly surprised.

"I will put the next one between your eyes," came the deep voice of Thorin. He nocked another arrow and took aim. The Dwarves behind him were jeering. I had come to a stop on the other side of Thranduil and saw the slight smirk he had on his lips. He barely moved his head forward when the Elves behind us drew an arrow and took position to fire them in unison. The Dwarves, all but Thorin, got down to avoid being hit. He remained stoic.

"We came to tell you that payment of your debt has been offered and accepted."

"What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing," Thorin announced. Thranduil looked at Bard and then back to the Dwarves standing on high. Bard pulled the glittering smooth gem from his pocket and a collective gasp could be heard from above.

"We have this!" Bard returned.

"They have the Arkenstone! Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house?! That stone belongs to the King!" a youngish Dwarf beside Thorin cried. He had stubble rather than a beard and I would have mistaken him for a Man if not for his stature.

"And the king may have it, with our good will. But first, he must honor his word," Bard said as he tucked the stone back into his pocket. Thorin glared.

"They are taking us for fools. This is a ruse! A filthy lie! The Arkenstone is in this mountain! This is a trick!" Thorin cried.

"It's no trick," Bilbo said as he came around the other Dwarves. My eyes widened and I looked to Thranduil and Bard to see that they were just as surprised as I was. _He's mad! Thorin will kill him!_ I thought. "I gave them the Arkenstone. I took it as my 14th share of the treasure."

"You? You would steal from me?" Thorin growled and I could see that this was about to go very wrong.

"No, I didn't steal from you. I may be a burglar but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim," Bilbo announced.

"Your claim? You have no claim over me, you rat!" Thorin was moving closer to the Hobbit now.

"I wanted to give it to you. Many times, I wanted to give it to you but…"

"But what, thief?"

"You are changed, Thorin! The Dwarf I met in Bag End would not have gone back on his word, would not have doubted the loyalty of his kin!"

"Do not speak of loyalty to me! Throw him from the ramparts!" the Dwarf King cried and my eyes widened. The others upon the wall didn't move and when they refused to do this terrible act, Thorin grabbed Bilbo and moved to do it himself. I tensed and turned to the others.

" _This_ is why I am here! Fate has decided that if they throw Bilbo from the ramparts, I will be here to catch him," I whispered furiously as I eyed the struggle. Behind us, Gandalf was emerging from the ranks of the Elves.

"If you don't like my burglar, please don't damage him! Return him to me!" the wizard cried in a booming voice. "You aren't making a very splendid figure as King Under the Mountain, Thorin son of Thrain!"

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards or Shire rats!" he responded. I could see the glint of insanity in his eyes.

"Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised?" Bard asked. Thorin paced and I watched him uneasily.

"Why should I buy back what is rightfully mine?" he cried. That was when Thranduil decided to taunt the Dwarf.

"Keep the stone. Sell it. Ecthelion of Gondor will give you a good price for it," he nodded to Bard and I covered my face with one hand. _He's trying to piss him off now. No doubt about it._

"I will kill you! By my oath, I will kill you all!" Thorin screamed.

"Your oath means nothing! I have heard enough!" Thranduil looked to the army behind him and the Elves drew arrows, preparing to fire. I looked back and saw Maedros was among the front line. I was torn. There were only thirteen Dwarves up there and hundreds, perhaps thousands of Elves down here. It would be slaughter.

"Thorin! Open these gates and lay down your arms! This treasure will be the death of you!" Gandalf cried. I looked back up and noticed that the Dwarf kept looking to the west. He was searching for something.

"Give us your answer! Will you have peace? Or war?" Bard asked. In the distance, I could hear rumblings.

"I will have war," was his reply as we watched an army of Dwarves marching over the hill. It was Dain Ironfoot from the Iron Mountains, as I heard Gandalf mutter. I turned in disbelief as I saw them marching to war with large goats and rams pulling their war machines. At the forefront of this force was a Dwarf with flaming red hair covered by a helmet and he was riding… a hog? A _hog?_ _What the fuck…?_ While the Dwarves in Thorin's company cheered, the three of us turned our steeds and began to ride to the middle of the grouping where Men were waiting amidst the Elves. I heard Thranduil giving commands to his people in Elvish to turn and march a short distance.

"Good morning! How are we all? I have wee proposition, if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would you consider…" Dain started out in a thick Scottish brogue with the most polite of voices, "JUST SODDING OFF?! All of you! Right now!"

His screaming of the last bit caused the men to raise up their weapons and stand back a bit. The Elves readied their bows and swords. Although I would have liked to laugh at the fact he was riding on a hog when he said this, I couldn't help but imagine that if he'd been in my world, that hog would have been a Harley Davidson.

"Come now, Dain!" Gandalf stepped forward.

"Gandalf the Grey," came the response. "Tell this rabble to leave or I'll water the ground with their blood!"

"There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves! A legion of orcs march on the mountain. Stand your army down!"

"I will not stand down before any Elf. Least of all this faithless woodland sprite! He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his pretty head open!" Dain cried. I couldn't help the smile that came to my mouth and had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. "See if he's still smirking then!"

He turned his hog around and started back to the line of Dwarves at the top of the hill.

"Let them advance. Let's see how far they get," Thranduil challenged, oozing confidence.

"Ya think I give a dead dog for your threats, you pointy-eared princess?!" was the response and this time I couldn't stop myself. I hunched over on the horse, laughing with one hand covering my eyes. When I looked up, I was getting the kind of glare that was meant to make me disappear from the heat I was receiving.

"What? You know he is actually complimenting you in a roundabout sort of way," I snickered quietly. That only made Thranduil's glare even worse. I sobered up and cleared my throat. This was a serious situation and I was not supposed to be laughing about it. "Sorry. I just thought the situation was a little funny."

"Stand your men down. I will deal with Ironfoot and his rabble," he turned to Bard and had his Elves step forward. He cried out instructions to his people and soon arrows were flying from the Elves to the Dwarves. I watched as they loosed some kind of weapon of their own which destroyed the arrows before they ever reached the charging goats and their riders. Dozens of Elves were injured when those twirling bolts hit the ground. I swallowed. This meant that the Elves were going to have to fight close up. I dreaded the fact that these two peoples were about to kill each other. When the fighting began, I felt helpless. I didn't want to aid either side. The fighting only lasted for a few minutes before the ground began to rumble and shake. To the north, I looked upon Raven Hill and saw flags of some sort had been mounted and below that, great and terrible worms chewed through the ground and roared as they reached the air. _Where are we, Arrakis?_ I thought. They looked like the sand worms from _Dune_.

"Were-worms," Gandalf muttered in horror. The Dwarves were the first to take action, running to form a line between Erebor and the oncoming horde. The Elves stood in small groups, watching as their adversaries abandoned them and went to stand against a new enemy. I glanced at Thranduil and he was looking over the great plains with contemplation on his face. I would not have the same problem. I dismounted the horse and gave it to one of the Men more dressed for combat and began to run forward to join the Dwarves. I would be there to fight with them. As they formed a phalanx, I got poised to jump over the wall of shields with my sword drawn. I was distracted for half a second by the gold of an Elf's armor as he kept pace with me and we leapt over the Dwarves together. My sword found its mark and went through the throat of an extremely hideous Orc.

I got to watch how Elves fight up close for the first time. One archer to two swordsmen that moved in units of three, watching each other's backs and fighting in unison. One of the Elves in the trio that I was fighting near fell and I took his place, to the surprise of his compatriots. I pulled two daggers from my belt and let them spin in the air, slicing throats of enemies as I saw them or embedding in the chest of others. One of the Elves I was covering fell and a spear from the enemy penetrated my side. I cried out in pain and sliced at the foul creature. I pulled the spear out and continued on, the wound healing slowly. I'd made a point of feeding on the blood of a small goat that had been killed for food by the Men. I'd volunteered to kill it and had drained the blood into a water skein. I had that very skein at my hip and let more weapons join the daggers I had floating in the air while I took a long drink from it. The wound closed immediately and I went back to killing Orcs.

Soon, I had nearly a dozen swords of fallen Elves and Orcs floating around me and no longer needed to be so active with my own sword. I was grateful for the rest I could give my arms. I noticed that Thranduil was leading a contingent of Elves back to Dale and I ran after him. A troll with particularly nasty teeth got in my way and knocked me to the side. I groaned and looked up to see that it was getting ready to hit me again with a spiked club. I raised my hands up in defense and it hit an invisible barrier. I curled my lips into a snarl and let my eyes turn blue-on-black as I shoved my arms up and it stumbled back. I rose up into the air and the creature followed at my whim. Looking to where Orcs were starting to gather to attack a smaller group of Dwarves, I pulled the foul creature high up into the air with me, until we were in the clouds. It roared and tried to throw its club at me but I easily dodged it in the air and made it float with us. When we were high enough, I aimed carefully before I sent the troll hurtling back towards the ground. He made a terrible sound as he impacted the Orc pack.

I turned my attention to Dale. It was being overrun and I knew I needed to help them. I raced downwards and imagined a shield around my fist as I took aim at another troll. I downed it before it could make it up the side of the wall. Rising back into the air, I noted that Thranduil using the elk's antlers to grab up Orcs to slice off their heads was an effective tool. However, when the Orcs filled the beautiful animal with arrows and the Elf went flying over the creature's head, I feared he would be overrun. He stood up and had a look of determination I'd not seen before and with long, graceful strokes of his twin swords, his enemies were brought down. Seeing him fight had me transfixed for a moment. His movements were fluid, almost feline in nature and I could only look on in wonder as he seemed to know where his enemy would be before they did. _He's thousands and thousands of years old, idiot. He's going to know how to fight better than anyone you've ever met,_ I chastised myself.

When an arrow came flying at me, I broke from staring at the Elvenking and landed hard on the head of an Orc that had raised its sword at an unsuspecting man. It wasn't long before I spied Thranduil fighting nearby. He paid no mind but to the battle before him and he was glorious to behold. Blond hair, still strangely perfect and a few droplets of Orc blood spattered upon his cheek. He was death and he was beautiful and I realized then that I was beginning to fall for the pompous Elf-king. I wondered at what point I'd put my love for Lucian upon a shelf and left it to collect dust.

I shook myself from those thoughts and concentrated on the two Orcs that were trying to tag-team me. One of them knocked the sword from my hand and the other jammed a dagger in my left shoulder. A cry left my lips as he pushed it in hard enough to be wedged into the mortar of the stone behind me. I willed my sword back into my right hand and fended off further blows from the two. Then they were headless. Thranduil stepped forward and sliced the throat of an Orc coming up behind him without even looking as he sheathed one sword and used his free hand to grasp the dagger's hilt. I dropped my sword and put my hand on his armor and nodded. I grunted in pain as the blade was pulled free and sagged against the wall. He went to help me stand and I shook my head.

"I fed on goat's blood just a short while ago. I will heal quickly for now," I informed him and he ignored me. He pulled my hand from the wound but it was already closing. He looked to my eyes and nodded before he continued on. I groaned and picked up my sword and then pulled out the skein of blood, taking a long gulp before I rejoined the fray. I'd found myself in the old market and had slain three Orcs when I saw him. Arradir was in the street with a pool of blood surrounding him. His bow was at his side and a partially full quiver. He'd been run through with a sword. I knelt by his body and touched his cheek with the back of my fingers. He was cooling off. He'd been dead a while, then. My heart began to break at the sight of the man I'd called son having perished. I'd hoped he would pass in his bed, warm and loved. I grasped his hand and felt a wave of despair rush through me.

"Recall your company," I heard Thranduil's deep voice speak to one of his warriors. A horn was sounded and I looked up. He was looking at all the dead Elves that littered the area. He locked eyes with me for a moment and then saw the tears that were beginning to fall down my face. He noted that I was holding the hand of an old man and I saw pity and understanding in his eyes. He knew my grief.

"My lord! Dispatch this company to Raven Hill! An army of Orcs are coming from the North and Thorin must be warned!" Gandalf cried.

"By all means, warn him. I have spent enough Elvish blood in defense of these cursed lands. No more!" He turned his eyes from me and began to leave. I placed a small kiss on the dirty forehead of my son and closed his eyes before rising up and following after the Elf-king. I would beg him to stay if I had to.

" _You will go no further!_ You will not turn away. Not this time," a female Elf with red hair demanded as she stood in his path.

"Get out of my way," he ground out. I had turned down a different street that I knew would bring me out just ahead of him and had stopped. I could see the anger in his eyes as he stared at her. She stood defiantly before him.

"The Dwarves will be slaughtered!" I could see that thought truly upset her.

"Yes, they will die. Today, tomorrow, one year hence, a hundred years from now. What does it matter? They are mortal." This was not the answer she wanted and she drew her bow and nocked an arrow that was pointed directly between his eyes. The surprise was evident on his face.

"You think your life is worth more than theirs when there is no love in it? There is no _love_ in you."

He looked away from her for a moment and it seemed like he knew my existence there for the first time. For a fraction of a second his eyes were on mine and then faster than a snake could strike, his hand had whipped out his sword and sliced through the bow she held. The anger I saw there was thick and hot. He held his sword to her chest.

"What do you know of love? Nothing! What you feel for that Dwarf is not real. You think it is love? Are you ready to die for it?" Thranduil questioned and I saw a tear trail down the she-Elf's cheek. _She loves a Dwarf? How unusual and wonderful,_ I thought to myself. I watched as Legolas pushed the sword aside and glared at his father.

 _"If you harm her, you will have to kill me,"_ he said in Elvish. The look of hurt on Thranduil's face told me everything I needed to know. He knew that his son loved this Elf and I surmised that this was Tauriel. I could also see in Legolas's face that he had heard every word of the conversation and though he had a pained look in his eye, he would aid her in whatever it was she was about to do. "I will go with you."

I watched him silently as the two left towards Raven Hill. He stayed in place and then turned to the company behind him. He dispatched them with orders to clear the area of Orcs and to aid the Men. He remained in place for a long moment before turning his wrathful eyes upon me.

"You must find this amusing, Daenerys. Please, tell me what your thoughts are of my pain," he stepped forward and I backed away until a wall was behind me. I didn't speak. "Well?"

Instead of speaking, I reached up hesitantly to his cheek and let my thumb run across it. His face remained stoic as I reached up to his other cheek. It was a long moment that he let me touch his face and then he leaned down and took a rough, angry kiss from my lips. He tasted like honey as his tongue and mine dueled for power. One of his hands tangled in my hair and the other cupped my neck. He broke away from me unexpectedly and I was slightly dazed by the loss of contact. I breathed heavily as I tried to regain my composure. Thranduil looked so conflicted and with a long glance at me, he marched towards a group of Orcs that had broken through the line of Men and began to tear through them. My lips felt plump from the kiss and I shook myself and pushed myself back from the wall. I floated up to the top of the building next to me and settled on the roof. My bow was out and the arrows were flying from my fingers into the heads and hearts of the foul creatures a little further down the city. Their numbers were dwindling here. We were winning.

When there were few Orcs left and the Dwarves were crying out in victory, I searched through the rubble and the bodies for my grandchildren. Thane, Arradir's oldest son found me and we shared in our grief at his father's death. Then he told me the most wonderful news: the rest of the family had made it. I was somewhat glad to know that Arradir's wife, Thea, had passed on some years ago. It brought me comfort to know that she was there with him now in the afterlife. We helped to gather the dead for the rest of the day. There would be many graves to dig and many stones to place. Thranduil was conspicuously missing from the city while we worked and then I heard he had gone to Raven Hill to discover the fates of Legolas and Tauriel. Many hours later, I saw him returning to his golden tent. Funeral rites were going to be conducted for all the dead at once in the evening tomorrow and then we would begin to bury them. Word had spread amongst the people that I was a witch and people were beginning to fear me.

There was a question at the end of the rites on if there were any who would like to speak. I noted that Thranduil still had not left. His people were still helping to tend the wounded and I knew that he had no need to stay. I was unsure if I was the reason. I decided that I would stand up. I walked to the front and heard murmurs of rumors and whispers of fear.

"Many of you know that in Lake-town, I was just a quiet woman who lived by herself. Many of you thought I was simply friends with Arradir and his family. I was more than that. Arradir was a lost and scared boy when I met him. His family had been killed on the road to the town. I took him in and raised him as my own. I was a mother to him and he was my son. I could not have hoped for him to become a finer man or a better father. When he was a boy, I would sing to him. His favorite song was one that I thought was full of melancholy but he saw it as hopeful. He once told me he'd like it if I sang it at his passing. I will honor his request now.

"I'm so tired of being here suppressed by all my childish fears.

And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave

Your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone!

These wounds won't seem to heal! This pain is just too real!

There's just too much that time cannot erase!

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears,

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me.

You used to captivate me by your resonating light,

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind.

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams!

Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me!

These wounds won't seem to heal! This pain is just too real!

There's just too much that time cannot erase!

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears,

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone!

But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along!

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears,

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me, oh!

All of me, oh!"

The silence was deafening and Thane and his wife embraced me as I stepped towards them.

"I will be leaving Dale for now, little warrior," I whispered in his ear. "I may yet return in the coming years but I must grieve in my own way."

He nodded and I kissed his forehead. The babe that was still so new to the world was in his wife's arms and I asked if they'd named the boy yet. It warmed my heart that they were naming him for his grandfather. I gathered my things from the ground and endured the stares that people were throwing my way as I shouldered my pack. I brushed past Thranduil, who had been watching the rite solemnly. He followed me and when I ducked into an alley that was in a part of the city not yet occupied, he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.

"Will you remain silent with me?" he demanded. I looked up to him and his eyes were so intense that they ensnared me.

"What do you wish to hear from me?" I asked softly. I was tired and my heart ached. "We kissed and it was the most joy my heart has felt in a long time."

He was silent as he stared at me. My heart ached at that and my face finally broke. I moved back from him and he let my arm go. I missed the warmth immediately. "Come back with me," he finally spoke. There was turmoil in his eyes, something that had him very conflicted. I took a long moment to consider it and then nodded.

"Very well," I sagged under the weight of the emotions running through me. He tilted my head up and he kissed me gently. My arms slid around his neck and my fingers ran through his silky hair. I was drowning in him and my head was swimming with his scent and taste. His tongue was exploring my mouth gently this time, begging for my tongue to dance with his. I broke away from him to catch my breath. I moved back from him and my heart was pounding against my ribcage. _Did that really just happen?_ I wondered in a slight daze. My arms dropped and I stepped out of his reach. I turned and walked away, acutely aware that he did not follow.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_ or any of the music unless I say so. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 24

I was sitting under a tree on a bench across from my apartment building, just enjoying the sunshine. It was another fabulously sunny day in Sunnydale and I was going to spend every second I could basking in the warmth. I had my eyes closed and my face upturned to the sun. I was aware that someone had taken a seat next to me on the bench and it was a moment before I popped an eye open to glance at who it might be. He was handsome. No, that wasn't the right word. _Beautiful_ would have been more appropriate. Bright and intense blue eyes, thick black lashes and black eyebrows seated on creamy white skin and framed by long blond hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. His clothes looked like they were tailored to fit him perfectly and somehow had an old world elegance to them. He belonged on the page of a runway magazine, not on a park bench in Sunnydale, California.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" His voice was rich, warm and deep with an accent that sounded vaguely British but I was sure it was something else. Something more regal. I nodded and smiled as I adjusted myself on the park bench. I was nearly five months pregnant now and my back was hurting from the weight I was carrying.

"It is gorgeous. I love it when the weather is like this and I thank the heavens that it's like this most days here."

"I prefer to go out to the woods and the forests on days like this. Spend some time in nature and amongst the trees," he responded. I thought something was familiar with him and craned my head to the side. I frowned and squinted at him briefly.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked softly. "I have a memory for faces, so I do apologize."

"The supermarket a couple weeks ago," he offered. I furrowed my brows and the memory of chocolate ice cream found me.

"Oh! Oh! You were the one who helped me get the ice cream!" I flushed a little, embarrassed. "I and my unborn children want to thank you for that. I'd been craving chocolate ice cream and bacon all day and I think I would have cried if I'd had to put it back."

"Not to worry," he smiled slightly and there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Are you waiting for someone? Your husband?"

"He's… not around right now," I hesitated slightly but smiled. "Don't worry. I can more than take care of myself. I'm more capable than I look."

"I have no doubt," came the soft reply and I felt a little confused. He seemed sad for some reason. Everything about him was so different than what I was used to. He was polite and regal. He sat up straight, never slouched. Even the way he was speaking had an odd cadence to it. "I will leave you to your thoughts."

I watched as the beautiful stranger got up and started walking away. He was the most graceful man I'd ever seen in my life. I tried to get up to go after him, suddenly feeling as though it were urgent but my legs refused to move. Looking down, my legs were stuck in a thick packing of mud. I tried pulling myself free but the mud just got deeper and thicker. It was past my calves now and I was beginning to panic. No one around seemed to notice my predicament and the retreating figure never turned. I cried out for help and thrashed but no one ever turned to help me. I woke to find a pair of hands gently trying to restrain me. It was Maedros. I let out a sigh of relief. It'd been almost a week since we left Dale and we'd stopped to make camp tonight because I was nearly falling off my horse with exhaustion. Elves, I learned, could go without sleep for a long while before they needed the rest. When they do sleep, it is with their eyes open and they walk through a dream world.

"You were crying in your sleep, Daenerys. Is everything all right?" he asked. I thought back to the dream that was already fading. It must be a memory of some sort. I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Maedros. It was a dream. Just a dream," I muttered as I sat up. My eyelids were heavy and still thick with sleep. "Is it time to go already?"

"No, we will be keeping camp for another few hours. You should get more rest."

"I don't think I can sleep anymore tonight," I muttered. I got up and put away my bedroll and stretched a little.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" he asked helpfully and I smiled.

"I would love something to drink." He left and returned with a goblet of wine. It was sweet and warm going down my throat. I nodded to Maedros as I took another sip. "This is fantastic. Thank you."

"I missed your songs," the exuberant Elf told me with a grin. I laughed.

"I will promise to sing more of them now that I'm going to be visiting for a while," I assured him. "I have so many that you could hear that you would be amazed that I can even remember them all or keep them straight."

"Where did you learn these songs?"

"From home. There are so many people who sing for money and for the joy of it and the songs are easily available," I explained. "One of my favorite singers is named Adele. She tends to sing of love and heartbreak the most. There are a lot of different things people sing about and most of the time it's about one of those two. Other things are of a less appropriate nature."

"If she sings of heartbreak, why do you enjoy the songs?"

"Because each one tells a story, of course! However, some songs are just made for being fun. There was a singer called Bowie back home who wrote strange and beautiful songs. One of them is quite popular with small children because it's part of a larger story about a goblin king."

"What is that song about?" he asked and I could swear he looked like a child suddenly.

"It's about magic and dancing. The beginning and end of the song are the same and the words are very easy. I'll teach it to you later," I assured him with a giggle. He pouted a little but nodded.

"Very well. Enjoy your wine," he sulked.

"No, you enjoy your _whine_ ," I laughed. He gave me a mock glare and continued on his way to do something I was sure was important. I finished the goblet and finally stood up. The Elves that had been victorious in the Battle of the Five Armies were full of melancholy. Many had perished and I felt the heartbreak they felt. Tauriel had come back with us and had been silent the whole journey. Legolas had gone north to join the Dúnedain. I could see the heartbreak she suffered. She quietly told me that she was going to sail West, to the Undying Lands. Her inner light seemed greatly diminished and I realized it was because she felt the grief of the Dwarf's loss. His name was Kili, I'd heard. She'd loved him. I could not do anything but sympathize with her.

We reached the gates of the kingdom the next evening and I was led to a room that was similar to the one I'd stayed in last time. I soaked in a hot bath for a while and scrubbed every last bit of the battle and road from my skin and hair. It was amazing how much good a hot bath could do. When I came out to dress, someone had left a fine gown for me neatly laid upon the bed. I pulled it on and it was amazing to feel on my skin. I had combed my hair out to a radiant shine and let it fall down my back. I was guided to the dining hall for the feast that celebrated the return of the King and the Elves that returned. There were laments being sung throughout the realm and the songs were heartbreaking. The evening went along that way for many hours. Thranduil had joined in the feasting and had spent the bulk of the evening speaking with his people. He would glance my way often but he made no move to come to me.

I took my leave of the festivities and went to gaze upon the caverns. The Elves had fashioned this place to look like the trees and vines that were outside of the halls. It was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. I leaned against a column and sighed. _What am I doing here? He asked me to come here and I've not heard a word from him since that night._ I fingered Itarille and closed my eyes. _Did I make a mistake?_ I jumped when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and turned. Thranduil was gazing out on his kingdom. I looked back out and leaned on the column again.

"I never really took in more than the room I had last time. I was too confused and tired to care about how beautiful it is here. Dwarves love their places to be angular and precise. Geometric patterns and designs. And Elves? Everything is flowing and soft, even the hard stone becomes smooth and supple to the touch. Everything is carved to look as though the trees themselves had grown and petrified just to be that throne or gazebo. It's beautiful," I said softly.

"Do you know that Elves were the first to awaken in the world? We are the Firstborn and Middle Earth was meant to be a place for us to live and thrive but we have also faced heartache and sorrow. When one of our people are killed in battle or die of grief, our fëa will travel to the Halls of Mandos where we reside in grace and peace. Some are even reborn. When we grow weary of this world, we travel to the Undying Lands, to Valinor. I considered going to the West, leaving this world when Sírbes died. I stayed because I believed that I had a purpose. I had a son that required guidance and a people to lead." He turned to me slowly.

"Do you regret it?"

"I do not."

"I hear that Elves only ever marry once. Elladan and Elrohir told me that the only Elf that they have ever known to remarry after his wife's death was Finwë."

"This is true."

"Then why did you kiss me?" I asked. It was the question that had burned in me for a week now.

"Should I not have?" he returned.

"That isn't an answer."

"I don't need to answer to you," he replied as he turned, his robes sweeping about him. I grabbed his arm and he turned to look at me.

"Kissing once can be seen as a mistake, but twice? You feel something and you're not sure what it is. That's why I'm here, isn't it? That's why you asked me to come back with you. You don't know what you feel and I'm here so you can figure it out." I felt a little disgust at this revelation. The kissing might have just been a distraction for him. I felt like he was toying with me in some way and started walking back to my room. I had only walked a few feet when his voice stopped me and I turned to look at him.

"I do not know what the future holds. Foresight is the gift of Elrond and Galadriel of Lórien. It is true, I do not yet know all of what my heart tells me but I do not believe I made any mistake."

"Then listen to it more closely," I told him quietly and then continued forward.

For the first two weeks, I would see him in passing. I wasn't actively trying to avoid him but I wasn't seeking him out either. There was so much that I had to discover about Mirkwood and I would get lost in the beauty of the things I would see. Maedros was a good friend to me and showed me around. He told me that his love was for making art and he would make small clay sculptures that were absolutely beautiful. He was also a painter and I thought his art was magnificent. I told him about art and music from home and told him about how in the place I came from, movies were stories that were acted out that could be seen over and over. I would tell him amusing stories, like _Ace Ventura_ and stories of survival, such as _127 Hours_. I would catch Thranduil in the doorway watching at times. I told these stories over meals as well and it amused the Elves at the table greatly to hear stories of great adventure or love. Thranduil would sit at the head of the table watching me carefully as I would stand up and act out some of the stories.

I somehow managed to tell them the story of A New Hope from Star Wars in such a way that it was reasonable and I was trying to figure out how to tell them The Empire Strikes Back for the next round. Thranduil would find me after the meals and the stories and we would have quiet conversations. Some nights, he would just kiss me or stare at me with those beautiful blue eyes from afar. My heart would pound so heard when he was near that I was sure he could hear it. I'd been having long nights where I would be up late, just reflecting on things. I realized that through my separation from Lucian, I was no longer in love with him, though I did still love him. More than four hundred years without him had let me take a step back and realize that he probably hadn't been all that in love with me either. There'd been a rift between us when I brought him through to Sunnydale that I'd been too blind to see.

I bypassed my room and was wandering through the realm instead. I kept note of where I was so I could find my way back. I was excited when I found a room with instruments. I laid my hands on a cello and bow and listened to see if it were in tune. I'd had a few years training with this instrument but hadn't really taken to it as I had the piano and guitar. Sitting down and taking a deep breath, I decided I would practice a little. I went through scales a couple of times and then played one or two classical pieces that I knew by heart. I had decided to put it back when I saw Maedros at the entrance. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"You didn't sing this time," he pointed out. I laughed.

"I had no audience," I pointed out. He pouted.

"I will be your audience! Sing something for me, please." I sighed and then bit my tongue thoughtfully while I tried to think of a song I could do with this instrument. _Didn't that band One Republic have a song?_ I mused to myself as I tried to think of the melody. I pulled the bow across the strings experimentally while I tried to think and eventually the tune came out right. I didn't start singing at first and then sighed. I wasn't in the mood for this. I finished the song as an instrumental and then went to the piano instead. The Elf waited patiently and watched me. I smiled and began to play something that was a little more appropriate to my mood. I loved Hoobastank's _The Reason_.

"I'm not a perfect person. There's many things I wish I didn't do.

But I continue learning. I never meant to do those things to you.

And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know!

I found the reason for me to change who I used to be,

A reason to start over new. And the reason is you!

I'm sorry that I hurt you. It's something I must live with every day.

And all the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away,

And be the one who catches all your tears. That's why I need you to hear

I found the reason for me to change who I used to be,

A reason to start over new. And the reason is you!

And the reason is you! And the reason is you! And the reason is you!

I'm not a perfect person. I never meant to do those things to you

And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know!

I found the reason for me to change who I used to be,

A reason to start over new. And the reason is you!

I found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know

A reason for all that I do, and the reason is you."

I finished and gave a tired smile to my friend, for that was how I saw Maedros. He was generous enough to walk me back to my room and I bade him a good night. I changed into my sleeping shift and laid in my bed. I was exhausted emotionally and physically. I had just started drifting off to sleep when I heard a knock at my door. I thought it was my imagination and started drifting back towards sleep. I was jolted awake at the feeling of someone watching me. He was silent as he stared at me. Feeling a little bleary-eyed, I sat up with a frown.

"Thranduil?" I asked, my voice was thick with sleep. "What's going on?"

When he didn't answer me, I got out of bed. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered from the chill in the air.

"Do your kind marry or bond?" The question took me aback.

"Yes. My kind can bond so intensely with their mate that it is almost physically painful to be separated from them for too long. Those like that are bonded for life and if their mate dies, they don't usually remain the same afterwards. They become cold and angry. They may take another mate but… it isn't the same. They will never love them as they did the first. It can take lifetimes, several lifetimes, for them to become even a semblance of what they were before," I spoke this softly. It was a truth that I knew well from my time with Lucian. Thranduil's hand grasped mine gently. His skin was warm on mine and I looked up to him in surprise. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make my heart stop for just a moment. I watched his hands and fingers. They were exploring some old scars on my hands from when I was a child and ill in the hospital. The scars were where they'd stuck me with IV needles.

"Were you bonded in such a way?" Thranduil's voice held curiosity. I shook my head and looked into his eyes.

"No, never. Lucian was so heavily bonded to Sonja that when the war began, his love and memories of her could be seen by any that he turned," I explained. " _I_ saw her, loved her, watched her die and mourned her as he did when he turned me."

"Elves do not give themselves over to another lightly," his voice was deep and sweet to my ears. "We do not engage in trivial passions."

"I know," I told him. His fingers were delicately tracing a blue vein that lay beneath the surface of my wrist.

"Do you?" he asked softly as his eyes followed the trail his fingers were making.

I raised my free hand to gently trace the edge of his ear to the tip and he gasped, his eyes rolling back into his head for a moment. _Who knew Elves had sensitive ears?_ I thought as he leaned down to capture my lips in a fierce kiss. My fingers tangled in his blond hair and he lifted me off my feet so that I wasn't tilting my head back so far anymore. I felt him carrying me until my calves touched the bed only a few feet away and then I was sitting on top of the covers. When he pulled back, I could see the growing desire in his eyes. I reached up to the circlet that rested on his head and put it down on the table next to the bed before getting to my feet and standing up on the mattress.

He rose to his full height and stared up at me silently while he let my fingers dance across his face. I left a chaste kiss on his forehead, the tip of his nose, on each eye and then his lips while my hands moved to remove the clasp on the front of his regal robes. He watched me as I pushed the material back and he gave a small shrug to help it slide to the floor. He wasn't going to lift a finger to undress himself and that was fine with me. I wanted to take in this moment anyway. Beneath the embroidered golden robe was a simple white silk tunic that was fastened with buttons that I worked over in moments while my eyes remained glued to his. I pushed that fabric back and a small shrug from him caused it to fall to the ground as well. I felt the expanse of his lean, pale chest beneath my fingers and my eyes strayed to look. He was _beautiful._

I reached up to pull my dark blue shift over my head and he stopped me. He instead untied the piece of string at sat just above my bosom and unwrinkled the fabric that was bunched around it until it only took a flick of his fingers on my shoulders for the whole thing to fall free of my body. While he still had his pants, I was completely naked before him. He paused to look me over and I could see a subtle change in his demeanor as he tried to decide something in his head. I knelt down before him and we were suddenly eye to eye. His hands were gentle as he pulled me in for a kiss, his chest was warm as he pulled me to him and I could feel the reverence with every move his hands made upon me. When I broke free of his lips, I dared to taste the flesh of his neck, his chest and the dip between the lean muscles of his abdomen while his fingers curled into my hair.

Unfastening his pants with my hands, I tugged at them until he had no choice but to rid himself of them by kicking them from his legs and to the side. I rose back up to his lips and kissed him gently. When I moved back from him, I took in his body and felt like a god had smiled down upon the Elf before me. He had lean muscles and creamy white skin that was gorgeous to behold. His length was impressive enough that I wondered if it would even _fit_. I'd been with well-endowed men before but I was a little unsure of him. If he saw my apprehension, he didn't indicate it. He pulled me in for another kiss and I gave into him gladly. I let a hand gently grasp him and he began to climb onto the bed. I scooted back on my knees to give him space. Thranduil's hands roamed my body and my hands roamed his. I could not feel a single blemish to his skin, though his fingers found and explored old scars on mine.

He grasped my thighs and lifted me up enough to settle me onto my back in a comfortable position. As he settled between my thighs, his hair came down like a curtain around us, making this a far more intimate moment. It was like there was no one else in the world as his intense blue eyes bore into mine. Then, with a slow and delicious thrust, he was inside of me. _Every inch_ was inside of me. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open as a moan left me. I grasped his bicep with one hand, the other becoming a fist against his back as I silently asked him to wait, to let me adjust to him. He kissed me slowly while he remained still. I'd been without for so long and I had nearly forgotten how it felt to be filled up in this way. When I was ready, I let my hips roll up slightly and sighed at the friction it caused.

He was slow and gentle as he thrust into me. My hips matched his pace perfectly and it was amazing how it felt. Our mouths were insistent upon the other's flesh, the other's lips. His tongue would battle mine for dominance and I would give in to him. When he increased his pace I gave a moan against his lips and rolled my hips to meet his in time. I was panting and could feel a knot of tension building inside quickly now. I wanted to change position, to show him more of how I felt. I rolled us so that he was beneath me and I could tell that this was a position he was not used to being in from the surprise in his eyes. He tried to roll us back and I stopped him with a gentle kiss and began to move on top of him, my hands on his chest for stability. Curiosity and pleasure filled his face and soon, his hands were on my hips guiding me to the pace he wanted. I sat up straight on him and let my head fall back as I rode him to the peak of my pleasure and back down to give him his. His hands were firm on my hips as he moved me faster upon him. I leaned over his face and stared into his eyes, my lips teasing his as his release came and his seed spilled inside of me. I treasured the look of ecstasy that knit his brows together and parted his lips.

We stared into each other's eyes for a moment before he turned us so that my body was under his again. He moved slowly, creating that delicious friction that had sparks flying up and down my spine and my nerves tingling. I had thought there would be more rest between round one and round two. I hooked my ankles together around his waist and used him as the leverage I needed to meet his steadily increasing pace. The look of determination I received was the kind I had seen in battle. He meant to dominate me, I was sure of it. He was a King, after all. I moaned his name and it seemed to spur him on to thrust harder. Thranduil dipped his head to my breasts and took one of the pink buds into his mouth. I gasped and closed my eyes as I let the sensation of his swirling tongue and his strong hips overtake me for my second climax of the night. He wasn't finished so easily. His stamina was incredible.

I was panting wantonly now as my third climax built up. He was panting and grunting with the exertion as he lowered himself to his forearms and sped up his pace again. After a moment, he changed how he was settled between my thighs, moving so that he was on his knees and lifted my hips so that he had better access to me. I gave a short cry at the new angle. He'd been hitting my center before then and now, I was voiceless. I stared up at him and all his glory; his blond hair was mussed from my fingers running through it and his flesh seemed to glow the brightest I'd ever seen an Elf be with that inner light. My hands covered his and he pulled my hips against him with more urgency. The low moan he let out as he climaxed did me in; stars burst before my eyes as I came and my body tightened around him. I pulled his mouth to mine in a crushing kiss. When he finally slowed, then stopped, I had a thin sheen of sweat starting to cover my flesh but he didn't seem to have the same problem. I whimpered slightly when he pulled out and laid beside me. He pulled me close to him and reached down to the thick blankets, probably having noted that I had broken out in gooseflesh from the cool air. We lay there for a while, my eyes half lidded from the desire to sleep. He stroked his fingers up and down my side and looked down at me with satisfaction.

"We're bonded now, aren't we?" I asked tiredly. He continued to stroke my side and nodded.

"Yes. We have bonded. In a few weeks, I will announce that I have pledged myself to you and there will be a formal ceremony but tonight… Tonight was about forging the bond. It was more important than any ceremony that can be conducted before my people."

"Okay," I responded with a yawn. I lay my head on his chest, my ear listening for the steady thump of his heart and I found it. It was a soothing to me. "Je t'aime."

"What does that mean?" he asked softly and I smiled.

"I'll tell you in the morning."

* * *

When I saw Maedros the next day, he was acting so strangely when he saw me that I had to pull him aside to ask him what his problem was. His answers to questions and his behavior overall was more measured. Overly polite and helpful. If I asked for something, he was getting it before I could finish what I was saying. His answer surprised me.

"Maedros, what is going on? You're acting so strangely."

"You are my Queen now, Daenerys," he replied simply. I raised my eyebrows so high, I was sure they were going to be swallowed up into my hair.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion.

"You have bonded with our King. You are now our Queen and I must treat you as such," he replied. My jaw dropped.

" _How_ would you be able to tell that?"

"I can see it in you."

"Again, _how?"_ I asked.

"It is hard to describe but when Elves bond, they give a tiny part of their fëa to the one they are bonding with and I can see the King's bond on you."

"Can you see my bond on him?"

"Yes, I can." I sat down in the music room with true shock on my face. If they can see this bond between us, then this was going to get odd for me very quickly. Especially if they are treating me differently like Maedros is.

"Do me a great favor, Maedros. Don't be so formal with me. You are my friend and I would prefer the honesty of the interactions we had before today. Please?" He smiled and nodded. I grinned in return. "Thank you."

I walked to the music room I'd discovered previously and decided to practice on the guitar a little. I plucked the strings and Maedros smiled and sat at the piano. I wasn't playing any particular melody but he shaped his playing around the chords I made. It was a sweet and joyful sound. We played for hours, until he was called away to be part of a patrol in the forest. I busied myself with other things for the rest of the day. I caused quite an uproar in the kitchens when I visited and asked to make something I'd not had in a long while.

The Elves there insisted they could make it for me but I wouldn't hear of it. I took tomatoes and crushed them, cooked them and brought them down to a fine sauce. I added seasonings until it tasted right to me. I found some cooked ham and cut it into slices and then smaller pieces. I sliced up some green peppers and red peppers. They watched me curiously as I made dough and then turned it into a small circle. I threw it up in the air with a spin and it flattened out a bit. I put it on a round pan. I spread the sauce I'd made over the dough, grated a cheese that passed for mozzarella over the top and then spread the peppers and ham over the top. I added sliced mushrooms and some olives. I picked up the pan and walked over to the fire ovens and slid it inside. A moment before I was to pull the pizza from the oven, I spotted one of the cooks speaking with Thranduil. He looked a little amused by the fact I refused to let anyone cook for me. I motioned for him to come over and I pulled the pizza out.

"What is this?" he asked and I could see the other Elves were eager to know the answer to that as well.

"It's called pizza. It can be made many ways with many different sauces but the best way, I think, is this way," I explained as I took a knife and cut off several slices when it was cool enough to handle. I picked up a piece and gave it to him. He raised an eyebrow when I didn't put it on a plate or give him utensils. I laughed. "You eat this kind of pizza with your hands. I'll make another kind another day that requires a fork and knife."

He took the slice and I handed out pieces to the others standing around until I had a slice myself. I took a bite and sighed with a smile. Elvish bread and cheese certainly made this taste a lot better. I watched as they each took a small bite and there were various raised brows and smiles of delight with some nodding heads. I finished my slice and couldn't help but laugh as there were questions about how to make more kinds of pizza were thrown my way when they'd devoured the rest of their slices. Thranduil was slowly finishing off the last bite of his piece. He looked amused at the situation as he left.

I went looking for him after I promised to write down my recipes for different kinds of pizza for the cooks. They were excited at the prospect of trying new things. I was just excited to have even a small taste of home. He was dealing with a matter regarding one of the patrols he'd sent out the day previous. There were pockets of Orcs that still lingered in the forest after they had dispersed from the Battle of the Five Armies several weeks ago. They were being dealt with but there was trouble with some of them working with the Spiders coming from Dol Goldur. When the soldier was done giving his report, I made myself known.

"Can we talk?" I asked softly and he bowed his head slightly. We began walking and I could feel his eyes upon me expectantly. I decided to just come right out and say it. "Why didn't you tell me that our bonding imprints a piece of your fëa on me and mine on you?"

"Where did you learn this?" he asked with a frown.

"Maedros was acting differently towards me and I asked him. He said that the bonding makes it possible for Elves to know that you are bound and sometimes, know whom you are bound to. I didn't know that," I told him.

"And this bothers you?"

"No, it doesn't. I think I really like that, actually."

"It was not my intention to hide it from you," he said softly as we stopped. "I had hoped to discuss it with you this evening."

"I'm not upset, Thranduil," I sighed. "Maedros told me that now that we are bonded, I'm the Queen and he was just treating me in accordance with that stature. I was just so surprised to know that others can tell by sight alone. I'm not used to that."

"Does it embarrass you?" I shook my head.

"No. I don't get embarrassed easily anymore," I told him. I wanted to kiss him then and I stood on my toes to reach up. He bent slightly and captured my lips gently. I wanted to take him back to my room and make love but I broke the kiss. He had other things to contend with. "I'll see you at the evening meal."

"I will see you then," he agreed and then turned to head back to his throne. I walked to my room and when I went inside, I was surprised to see that my things were gone. I looked everywhere and found nothing. As I stepped out in confusion, I was met by an Elf-maid whom I gave a bewildered look and asked, "Where are my things?"

"Your personal belongings have been taken to the King's quarters," she replied gently. "I will guide you there."

"Who had them taken there?" I asked in confusion.

"The King."

"Oh. Okay," I replied and followed her. She led me to the doors but did not open them. I thanked her and then turned to the double doors. I opened them slowly and peeked inside. It was gorgeous. The bed was in the center of a rounded room that looked stunning. It was twice the size of the room I'd been staying in and the furniture was more ornate. The bed was stunning on its own. There were four posts that were draped in a sheer gauzy material across the top and that twisted down each post. There were four curtains that were tied back. I imagined the curtains were for decoration rather than anything else. The comforter was embroidered with delicate flowers and vines curling across the front. They and the sheets were of a cream color with silver thread.

I explored a little further in the room and discovered that my things had been placed into drawers in one of the dressers and in one of the wardrobes. There were a couple more dresses that I didn't recognize in there as well and when I examined them, I saw that they were the right size for me. I put them back and started looking around again. Thranduil had his circlet on when I'd seen him just a short while before. His spiked crown was sitting on the dresser on a small pillow that looked large enough to have the circlet sitting there as well. I ran my fingers over the points and cursed when I realized that they were quite sharp at the tips. I pulled the finger I'd pricked into my mouth and sucked on the blood for a second before deciding that I couldn't snoop around anymore. I left the room with the journal I'd come looking for and went to sit in a spot where I could put my feet into the cool water and began to write. I had a piece of graphite that I used as my pencil to sketch Thranduil's face from my memory of him, his crown and his eyes. I sketched until my fingers became cramped and it was nearly time for the evening meal. I put them back in the room and washed my hands of the graphite dust.

That evening, I sat next to Thranduil on his right side and there were several Elves that came to bid us happiness. I was noticing the slight difference in treatment by those who were normally there. There was a bit more formality to those who spoke with me and some seemed to be in awe. I had a sense that it was unusual for Elves to take a second wife but it must be even more unusual for Elves to marry outside of other Elves. We must have been considered quite odd. The meal passed with laughter and conversation. There was quite a bit of singing and some delight as the Elves in the kitchens had copied the pizza I'd made earlier and had served it for that very meal. It was even more entertaining that I got to watch a room of Elves try a new dish for the first time.

After the meal, I decided that I wanted to go stargazing and Thranduil came with me. I would have just gone up one of the nearest trees but he guided me to a small clearing just out of eyesight of the great doors to the realm. I laid down on the soft grass and sighed at the sight. I saw constellations that I recognized easily but they were so much closer together that it I had to point them out. I felt like a child at the planetarium again as I pointed out the constellations that I knew well and told the stories behind them. I tried to explain the ones I didn't know so well but ended up failing miserably. More than once, I caught Thranduil staring at me as I told these stories and his laughter at the funnier ones made my heart feel like it was ready to burst with joy and excitement. He would point out some of the constellations he knew and if we were pointing to the same one, he would tell me the Elvish story for it and I would tell mine. I pointed out a few constellations that I had made up as a child and the silly stories I'd created for them.

"Why did you create your own constellations and stories about them, Daenerys?" he asked me as I gazed up at the pinpoints across the sky.

"I was a sickly child and I loved the stars. I would have spent hours just gazing at them if I could have," I told him as I turned my eyes to his. "I was born with something wrong inside of me. It was that something was in the wrong place and the hope was that I would grow out of it. I didn't. It got worse and worse until the healers had no choice but to fix it."

I took the hand closest to me and touched his fingers to the scar I had on my lower body. If I were wearing normal panties, it would have been just below the hem. The scar was about four inches in length and was just above two unnatural dimples of flesh that was hidden in my pubic area.

"When I was seven, the healers gave me a draught that made me sleep and feel no pain and then cut me open from here to here," I said as I guided his fingers over the covered flesh. "They worked for over six hours to put right what had gone wrong. I was given many elixirs to help ease the pain and keep me from becoming even sicker as I recovered. But there was one night as my mother told me a story that I heard fireworks outside and I was taken out to see them. I was far too ill to be standing but the celebration was for the New Year and I was taken by the bursting lights. I started jumping and singing and my mother was trying to chase me down because I'd only had that surgery a few days before. My stitches could have burst open and I could have died but I was so excited to see those fireworks and to dance that I didn't care until I was caught."

"How did they know something was wrong inside of you?"

"Where I come from, there are things people have made for healing and one of them is called an ultrasound. It's hard to describe but it's a machine that can take an image of what is inside your body and see what is there or not there. They use it for all sorts of things and for me, they used it to see what was wrong with me. If I were to become pregnant and I were there, they would use it to see the child before it's born. In fact, there was a device that could even show you the face of the child."

"That is not possible," he scoffed and I laughed.

"It is where I come from! There are people I knew who got to see if they were having daughters or sons, even could tell if the child shared the father's nose or the mother's lips."

"Is it some kind of magic?" He rolled onto his side to stare at me and I rolled to face him. The soft grass was tickling my face and I smiled.

"Not magic, no. Science. Men and women will turn to science and lose magic when Elves and Wizards have passed into the West," I told him softly. "They will forget the history of the world and all we know will become lost to them. I know this because if Elves had ever lived in my world, they are long gone or remain hidden from the rest of us."

"I could not imagine such a world," he said softly.

"I find myself wishing that I would never go back," I admitted. I stood up and stretched. "Come. Let's go back inside."

He stood up and we walked back inside, holding hands and laughing as we walked. He led me to his room, _our_ room. He went to a decanter of wine and poured us both a glass. I sipped it and sighed. It was sweet and I closed my eyes in pleasure at the warmth it brought as it flowed down my throat. I put the glass down and watched while he took his robe off first and then his circlet. He slid his shirt off and his pants off and was completely naked before me. I felt my heart skip a beat. Thranduil stepped towards me and captured my lips. He tasted like honey and wine and his hands wandered over the dress, pulling at the appropriate strings and places. It opened and fell away from me, leaving only the slip underneath. He pushed that off of my shoulders and I moaned into his mouth when his fingers slipped inside of me. My arms wrapped around his neck and he wrapped his free arm around me to lift me up. My legs wrapped around him.

He withdrew his fingers and thrust into me. I tangled my fingers in his hair as he walked us over to the bed and sat down, his back to the headboard. I rocked my hips back and forth for a moment and he seemed satisfied with our position, so I continued. We made love like that until we both reached the heights of pleasure, gazing into each other's eyes. Even after we finished, we remained in that position, kissing and touching. I got off of him and we laid down with me on his chest and his arm around me. His fingers traced the fading tattoo on my left shoulder written in Dwarvish.

"What does this say?" he asked softly. I didn't answer for a moment. "Daenerys?"

"Caeryn, Maelys and Liam."

"Your children."

"Yes."

"You miss them?" I swallowed at the question and nodded.

"I barely even got to hold my son before I was pulled to Middle Earth. I only got to _see_ my daughters. I've been heartbroken…" tears started rolling from my eyes. I looked up at him. "I've been heartbroken for so long, I'd forgotten what it was like to be happy." I touched his cheek and he touched mine. "But I'm beginning to remember."

"I know how you feel," he murmured. I fell asleep curled into his side, my fingers playing with his hair.

* * *

The sun shined down on me and I took a deep breath. The summer air was intoxicating and the waterfalls were almost hypnotic. I'd missed Rivendell and the twins had missed me. When I sent word that I wanted to visit, I'm sure that they were surprised but I was welcomed back very quickly by Lord Elrond. He had sent his well wishes after Thranduil had announced that he had pledged himself to me. He had come to the ceremony, along with Arwen. The twins had been riding with the Dúnedain at the time with their adopted brother Estel. Celeborn and Galadriel had also come from Lothlórien to bear witness and had stayed for a few weeks. 77 years had passed since then. I'd learned a lot more about Elves. I discovered that after having children, they usually lost the desire for sex and never had more than three or four children. Learning that had made it amazing that Thranduil was so active and dedicated to having sex with me.

Coming to Rivendell, Elrond's sons were excited to have someone else to prank and I gave as good as I got. I had been there for nearly a full year and a half. Right now they were still trying to figure out how I'd managed to hide a rotting fish in each of their bedrooms without their knowledge. I had been lucky enough to find that they had a hollow curtain rod in each of their rooms. I'd hidden the fish inside them and as the smell got worse, the harder they searched. It was day ten and the stench was getting unbearable. I turned an amused glance upon the two as they came my way.

"Daenerys, we have talked it over and have decided that we are ready to surrender," said Elrohir.

"My room has never smelled so foul before. I do believe that I will never touch fish again because the smell is so nauseating!" Elladan sulked.

"My room makes me wish that I could close my nostrils and lose my ability to taste," Elrohir cried.

"Your room doesn't make one quite as _ill_ as mine does!"

" _How_ could you possibly-"

"Enough!" I laughed. "I'll tell you how to get rid of the smell if you two promise that you won't mess with my shampoo ever again. That smell wouldn't leave my hair for days and I don't even want to know what it was."

They nodded solemnly and I told them where they could find the fish. I laughed as they ran for their rooms. They didn't walk. They _ran_. Elrond was frowning as he passed his sons and then looked back at me. I tried to look innocent.

"You told them where to find the fish?" he asked.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I smiled.

"As you have maintained for the last ten days."

"Exactly."

"Nevertheless, I have come on another matter. In a few days' time I will be holding a council on a matter that regards all of Middle Earth. Legolas will arrive on the morrow to bring news from Mirkwood. I would like to invite you to take part."

"I will be there, my friend," I responded. "I've heard of some dark things in these last years. This has to do with the Halflings that have come of late, doesn't it? The one you've been tending to."

"It is a matter of some importance that will be discussed at the council."

"Then we will see the truth made known," I replied as I stood up from the bench and made my way to the edge of the garden. I wandered through familiar halls and found three Hobbits in the kitchens. The plumper of the three was chastising the other two, who were raiding a pantry of vegetables. I laughed and they jumped in surprise.

"We were just getting a snack, no need to be getting upset!" one of them cried nervously. I laughed again.

"She's not an Elf, Pip. I think she's a guest here, too," another one said.

"Oh, how lovely! Allow me to introduce myself! I am Peregrin Took, at your service! You may call me Pippin," the nervous one bowed, a carrot falling out of his vest.

"I'm Meridock Brandybuck, Merry at your service!"

"Samwise Gamgee, at your service," the plumper one introduced.

"Daenerys," I bowed and they laughed.

"Lady Daenerys, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Sam replied with another bow.

"No, not Lady. Just Daenerys. Did you all come with the other Hobbit I saw?"

"That's Frodo. He's recovering, bless him! We're so glad that he's all right."

"I'm glad that he's on the mend. Oh, and Pippin? If you're going hide carrots in your vest, make sure that you put more than one in each pocket. Makes it harder for them to fall out," I winked and he nodded vigorously. I grabbed an apple and took a bite of it while they continued on their way. I was cutting through the courtyard when I spied several horses just beyond the welcoming arches. I squinted and smiled when I saw it was Legolas and Maedros, among others. I waited patiently. When they dismounted, I warmly hugged them both. Lindir was soon there to greet them and Elrond was not far behind. They were a day early but that wasn't a problem. There were others arriving as well, such as Men from Gondor and the Dwarves from Erebor. I had been enjoying a lot of the banter between them and they were surprised and delighted to know that I could understand a little of their speech.

Gimli son of Glóin was as boisterous as his kin. He bragged to me about how his father had helped to take back Erebor and had fought side-by-side with the great Thorin Oakenshield. I told him that I had been there, at that great battle and I had been in awe of the prowess of Dwarves. That had stroked his ego, and that of the other Dwarves, quite a bit. I also met with the Men from Gondor. Most of them were older and one of them was relatively young. He was Boromir, son of Denethor. His father was currently the Steward of Gondor and the Men he'd traveled with to get here were undoubtedly the bureaucrats of Minas Tirith. I spoke with them a little and they were polite but dismissive of me. Boromir showed more interest than I thought proper and I think it was because he was thinking I was available. I could only imagine what his face would look like when he finds out that I am Legolas's stepmother. I'd had the pleasure of meeting Estel, or Strider as he was known in the Wild. He was a serious person but I'd seen the amusement he carried when I'd pranked his adoptive brothers. He'd even commented that he wished the kitchens to serve fish more often.

When the day for the council arrived, I could see many of the Men there were more than a little confused by my presence there. I was among the last to be introduced as Daenerys of Mirkwood, wife of Thranduil. I was seated next to Legolas and I could see he was not pleased with some of the looks I received. The first order of business at the council was when Elrond stood and recounted the history of the One Ring and of the Rings of Power. While he talked about these things, I fingered the place where Itarille had once sat. Six months before leaving for Rivendell, I'd given it to Thranduil. He'd been surprised, to say the least. It had been something I'd refused to take off for so long. It was one evening, while we'd laid in bed. Elves didn't need as much sleep as humans did. They could go into a waking dream state if they required rest. Thranduil would lay in bed with me most nights and after one night of particularly intense lovemaking, I'd given it to him. I lost myself in the memory.

 _I was curled into his side and I was sore. We'd made love for_ hours. _I propped myself up on one elbow and just looked at him. He was walking in dreams at that particular moment as I watched. His eyes were open and unblinking and his chest rose and fell slowly. It was coming close to dawn and I had been thinking of something for several weeks that I had just decided upon as I gazed at him._ I've carried this for too long, _I thought._ Time to let go. _I leaned up and kissed his lips to wake him. He didn't take long to respond. When we broke apart, I asked him to close his eyes and he did. I placed several delicate kisses on his forehead and over his eyes. I pulled Itarille from my finger and placed it in his open hand, closing his fingers over it before I let him look._

 _"Why are you giving this to me?" he asked in wonder when he looked upon it. I tucked some hair behind his ear and smiled._

 _"For too long, I've kept this ring because I had a broken heart and because I didn't want to let go of things I could not control. I look at it now and I realize that it brought us together and I believe that you are meant to have it."_

 _"Is it not a reminder of what you have lost?" he asked softly._

 _"It is a reminder of that I am yours, now and forevermore."_

I was broken from that memory as the Ring was brought forward. The One Ring I'd heard so much of. It was small and golden, like a wedding band. I felt something as I stared at it and it was hard to describe. It was nauseating to be around. I'd never felt this way around anything in my life and I wished I could get away from it. I looked around the council and I saw that the Elves were both repulsed and enticed by it. Boromir's eyes reflected something a little more worrisome.

"I had a dream," he began, "where the eastern sky grew dark and a growing thunder roared. But, in the West a pale light lingered, I heard a voice that cried out, 'That Doom is near at hand, for Isildur's Bane shall be found!' And here, it is found. Isildur's Bane!"

"I have never seen such a thing before," I said with a feeling of disquiet. "It makes me sick just at the sight of it."

"This Ring is a gift! Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy, let us use it against him!" Boromir countered.

"The Ring is all together evil! It cannot be wielded by any other than its master," Estel replied.

"What would a Ranger know of such matters?" Boromir sneered.

"This is no simple Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn," Legolas stood to my surprise. I looked upon the Ranger with new eyes. _The heir of Gondor? Interesting._

"Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor. You owe him your allegiance."

 _"Sit down, Legolas,"_ Aragorn said in Elvish.

"Gondor has no King. Gondor _needs_ no King," the Man sneered and I shook my head.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Gandalf nodded.

"You have only one true choice," Elrond began. "It must be destroyed."

"What are we waiting for?" cried Gimli as he tried to cleave it in two with an ax. The weapon broke upon contact.

"It cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Glóin, by any craft we here possess. It must be taken deep into the Mountain of Doom and be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this," said Elrond as he stood before the council.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly," Boromir said with a glare.

"Have you heard nothing that Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas cried as he jumped up.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli roared.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir stood.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf! Never trust an Elf!" Gimli cried as he stood up. Soon, the whole of the council was in an uproar with everyone arguing why they should be the one to take it or who was not trustworthy. I remained seated and rubbed my forehead. I saw that Bilbo, who had told his finding of the Ring, and Frodo were quiet and still seated. I could see the conflict on the young Hobbit's face. He seemed to come to a decision and jumped up.

"I will take it! I will take it! I will take the Ring to Mordor!" he cried and the people quieted down after a moment and stared at him. "Though, I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf stepped forward. The Hobbit seemed a little more relieved at this.

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will. You have my sword," said Aragorn as he knelt in front of him.

"And you have my bow," Legolas stepped forward.

"And my ax!" groused Gimli.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is the will of the council, Gondor will see it done," Boromir came forward. Behind a set of plants just outside the council chamber, a cry was heard and out bounded Samwise Gamgee.

"Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!" he cried.

"No, indeed it is impossible to separate you two when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond replied with amusement twinkling in his eyes. Sam had the decency to look a little embarrassed at that comment but stood fast.

"Hey, we're coming too!" cried Merry from behind a pillar and he ran out to join the group with Pippin not far behind. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing," Pippin tried to look much wiser than he already was. Merry chortled a little.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip!" The Hobbit in question gave a confused look to his friend and I had to smile. Then I stood, much to the surprise of some.

"I offer my sword to you, Frodo. It is yours to command for as long as you need it," I said as I went to join the group. Boromir raised his hands up in protest.

"My Lady, this is a quest that you cannot be a part of. It is perilous and we cannot protect you and the Hobbits," he announced. I glared at him.

"I have to agree, my Lady!" Gimli said with a gruff voice.

"I fought in the Battle of the Five Armies and I was there to witness the greatness of Thorin Oakenshield when he rallied his troops in the final hours of battle. I watched as Dáin hammered his foes upon the battlefield and smote the ruin of his enemies. I am perfectly capable of defending myself. I have skills that may be of use to the Company," I replied to them.

"Impossible! You barely have twenty-five winters to your life, at the most!" Boromir objected.

"I am 1231 years old. I am not an Elf nor a daughter of Men but I have seen battles you cannot imagine. In comparison to me, you are but a whining child if age is your concern," I announced. I fixed him with a stare and he glared back before turning away.

"It is done then. Ten companions. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond said as I nodded. I smiled grimly as I took my place behind one of the Hobbits.

"Great! Where are we going?" Pippin asked. I had to smother a laugh.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

 **Author's Note:** I was going to try this chapter out in third person instead of first person. It gets tiring saying 'I' all the time and it would be interesting to see other view points during the story, right?

Chapter 25

Legolas watched Daenerys quietly while she packed a few more items into her bag. He couldn't help but think that this was wrong. She shouldn't be part of this. She should return to his father instead. He sighed. His father was going to be furious when he received word. His wife and his son were on a quest to destroy the One Ring and there was nothing he could do about it. He had tried to speak with her, to ask her to reconsider. She was adamant that she take part in this venture.

"Something wrong?" She asked as she fixed a third dagger to her thigh. She was wearing leathers for traveling and the tunic that was underneath was a light blue. Her hair had already been braided into a thick bun on her head and looked like a dark halo. She glanced at him again as she placed the sword she'd gotten from the twins on one hip and a second sword that had been a gift from his father on her back. The second sword was very much like Thranduil's and she had learned from him how to fight with two swords in concert. She'd been a bit clumsy at it when she first put her hand to it, but now? She was getting more dangerous by the day.

"No, nothing is wrong. I only wish you would reconsider," Legolas told her while he checked his own pack.

"I'm a part of this world and I'm hardly a helpless maiden. I will be fine, I promise."

"Father will be very upset," he warned. She smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"He will have to forgive me. It is not in my nature to run from a fight," she replied. "I will not start now."

"Is everything ready?" Aragorn asked as he came forward. He carried a few more food rations and tied them to the pony's load. Daenerys scratched behind the animal's ear affectionately.

"We have all that we need to begin this journey," Legolas confirmed. Daenerys nodded in agreement and then began to walk towards where the Hobbits and Gandalf were waiting. It was as she was walking away that Boromir turned up.

"We should not be bringing a woman on this journey. She will only cause great strife," he groused. Aragorn frowned but said nothing. He privately did not want Daenerys on this mission either but he respected Legolas's judgement of her abilities as a warrior. If she was as old as she claimed and as good at fighting, then she would be of great use to them over the coming months.

"Daenerys is a capable warrior, Boromir. She will fight to her last breath and even then, she will continue onward to see this done," the blond Elf replied with a stoic glance. His thoughts drifted to his father. If something _were_ to happen to his stepmother, he was not sure his father would recover. He barely recovered when his mother had died and it had taken the woman he cared for more as a sister to chip away at the ice that had encompassed his heart. She had brought warmth to him again. Legolas mentally shook his head. "Let us not speak of this anymore."

"Come, you three!" Gandalf cried. "It will soon be time for us to depart!"

They led the pony laden with supplies to the spot where the rest of the Fellowship awaited. A company of Elves were waiting for them for an official send off. Once everyone was there and ready, Elrond came forth and looked upon the people assembled. It was the most unlikely grouping one could imagine and yet, it was one that brought him hope. Two Men, a Wizard, an Elf, a Dwarf, four Hobbits and a woman who simply called herself a Hybrid. There were many things he'd seen in his lifetime. He could only hope for the sake of these peoples that this would work.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you," the wise Elf intoned. Daenerys watched as a private look was exchanged between Aragorn and Arwen. She'd talked to her friend when she arrived back in Rivendell about the subtle change in her demeanor whenever the Ranger came into view. She had been a bit bashful but the facts were obvious. She was in love. Watching that private exchange made Daenerys wish that Thranduil was here for such an exchange. She knew he wouldn't approve of her going on this quest but she was sure that this is what she was meant to do here.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer!" Gandalf announced and Frodo seemed slightly spooked. He turned towards the gates and slowly began walking. No one moved to follow until he and Gandalf had passed them.

"Mordor, Gandalf? Is it left or right?" the Hobbit asked in a hushed voice, looking nervously back and forth.

"Left," came the quiet reply from the Wizard. They followed the Hobbit for a short while before Gandalf took the lead. Daenerys smiled comfortingly when the Halfling looked back at the rest of the group. He was not going to complain but he secretly agreed with Boromir. She did not seem to have a place in this Fellowship. It was a feeling that persisted with the Hobbits and the Men. Until the third week of their journey when Daenerys had tired of Boromir's relentless glare. They were making camp and Sam had the first watch of the evening. She had situated Bill, the pony, with something to eat and had volunteered to go hunting for some game for the evening meal. It had been a few days since the last deer they had slain and the meat from that was all but gone. Boromir's derisive laugh made her stiffen and turn around.

"If you think my ability to hunt is poor, perhaps you should see how I hunt Boromir?" she suggested. "I use no weapons carried here. But be warned! I am quite dangerous when I hunt. I may even begin to hunt _you_ if I am not careful."

"I greatly doubt that claim, my _lady_ ," he sneered. "If you are hunting without weapons, you will return without game."

"We shall see," she responded with narrowed eyes. She left her swords and daggers on her bedroll and did not take her bow or arrows. She went only with narrowed eyes and hands fisted into the dark.

"Should someone go after her?" Pippin asked with a worried face. "Who knows what might be lying in wait!"

"Do not fret, young Hobbit. She will be fine. I have seen her hunt. After Orcs attacked in Mirkwood and one of my people were taken, she had been a part of the group that went to track the creatures. She separated from the main group and killed a dozen Orcs that had been lying in wait to attack our search party. She can take care of herself," Legolas assured them.

He'd returned home after many years with the Dúnedain to make peace with his father and to see if the things he'd heard were true. He could not believe it when he saw Daenerys again and the gentle aura of his father's fëa surrounded her and hers surrounded him. His father, the King of the Woodland Realm, had married this woman. He was distrustful of her at first. She was of mortal birth and yet immortal, as he'd witnessed. She had abilities that even those among the Eldar would be suspicious of and yet she had proven herself in battle. The prince could tell that his father did love her deeply from the looks he would throw her way when she wasn't looking. She loved him deeply in return, he had come to see, for it was in her eyes and face whenever she was in the same room as him. He shook his head slightly and then returned to building the fire. There'd been some rain during the day and the sticks were giving difficulty with remaining lit.

Almost an hour later, Daenerys returned with a large buck tossed over her shoulder. Its neck was broken and when they began to gut it, the blood had already been drained from the creature. Legolas did not miss the fact that the woman's skin flask was completely full now when it had been empty and dry before. Her lips were slightly redder as well. She helped to clean the kill and cook the meat. Boromir was trying to figure out how she had brought the buck down without any tools. Finally, the Man of Gondor could take it no more.

"What sort of witchcraft is this? You could not have done this without some kind of treachery or weapons. Out with it!"

Daenerys stood up slowly and then turned to Boromir with an even glare. "You are so eager to see what I am capable of? Very well. I will show you. Draw your sword," she commanded as she picked up the two that she had laid upon her packed bedroll. She twirled them in her hands before settling into a battle stance, the one Thranduil gave her in her hand above her head and the ones the twin sons of Elrond had given her in the other hand with the blade in a defensive pose across her body. Boromir drew his sword and they measured up their competition before he sprang into action. She parried and dodged with little to no effort. When she let him get close enough, she let her eyes change to their hybrid state and gave him a feral grin filled with sharp teeth. Wide eyed, he jumped back.

"Demon! She's a demon!" he cried and Aragorn drew his sword. Without changing back into her more human appearance, she stepped forward and let them all see her as she was. It scared the Hobbits terribly but she simply sat next to the fire and began to polish the swords before putting them back into their scabbards. Legolas was relaxed and had not moved from his place.

"I am no demon. The best way to describe me might be a form of skin-changer. A little like Beorn, whom Bilbo met on his travels to the Lonely Mountain. I just remain more human in appearance than he does," she spoke clearly and slowly so that those who had their swords drawn were less likely to strike her. When she looked up from her work, her appearance had changed entirely to human.

"Legolas, you knew of this?" Aragorn asked. The Elf nodded.

"She is my stepmother, Aragorn. I have known about this since before her marriage to my father," he replied. She looked up and smiled at the Elf and he nodded in return.

"If you are all done with being so judgmental of what I am, may we finish the evening meal? I'd like to eat before the food burns," she said.

The bulk of the group were suspicious of her still for a good while after that. Boromir and Aragorn tended to be the ones keeping an eye on her and she was never trusted to keep a watch by herself. It was when they were camped out on the passage south when things began to change. Boromir was teaching Merry and Pippin, who'd become more and more friendly with her, how to fight with swords. Sam was cooking up some sausages and tomatoes over the fire and Aragorn was eating an apple. Frodo was by Gandalf and Gimli, who were smoking their pipe tobacco quite happily. Daenerys was sitting on a rock, viewing the majesty of the world below. Legolas was keeping watch and suddenly jumped up when he spotted something.

Gimli huffed in irritation. "If anyone asks me, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way 'round! Gandalf! We could go through the mines of Moria! My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!"

"No, Gimli. I would not go through Moria unless I had no other choice," the wizard responded. Daenerys looked to where Legolas was squinting. Her vision was good but his was far better.

"What is that?" she asked with a frown.

"Nothing! Tis a wisp of cloud!" Gimli said dismissively. Boromir's attention was captured now.

"It's moving fast and against the wind…"

"Crebain from Duneland!" Legolas cried. "Hide!"

There was a flurry of activity as they all grabbed things and put out fires. In the chaos, Daenerys found herself crammed into a crevice under a bush with Boromir. They were watching as the birds flew past and the man found himself distracted by the scent of the woman at his side. She smelled quite good for having been on the road with them for so long. When they climbed from the crevice, Daenerys turned and slapped him. Hard. When asked what was wrong, she said nothing and neither did he. Her lesson was clear: I belong to another. Don't touch.

"We must make for the pass of Caradhras! The passage south is being watched!"

The frozen mountainside made the journey that much worse. There was ice and snow so high that the Hobbits had to be partially carried. Legolas was the only one who was light enough to walk on the snow, no matter how thin the stuff was. Daenerys wished that she could do that too but if she even tried to float in this freezing wind while it was blowing so hard, she would probably struggle just to keep up so that she wouldn't fly away. When Legolas cried that there as a fell voice on the wind, Gandalf tried to counter the spell that Saruman was casting to make the mountain so perilous. It was left to Frodo to decide where they would go next, Gondor or Moria. When he chose the mines, there was a little relief from the Hobbits and excitement from Gimli. He was originally at the Council of Elrond to discuss why Moria had fallen silent but now they would see how the much older Dwarf and his people were doing.

Coming down from the mountain was almost as bad as climbing it. This journey was taking its toll on all of them. Weariness crept into them all. When they reached the lake that sat just before the walls of Moria, Daenerys felt so tired and hopeful. She'd heard that the mine had been overrun by Orcs a long time ago and that Balin's company had set out to empty the mine of the nasty creatures. She was quiet, for the most part, when they came to the walls. Gandalf tried various spells to try and open the gates to the great mine but nothing worked. They were stuck there until he either discovered the password or until they gave up and went another route.

When they had finally found passage through the mines, they discovered the terrible truth. Balin and his company had been overrun by the Orcs of Moria and they were shut into the mines by the Watcher of the Lake by its many tentacles blocking the exit with trees and a small cave-in at the West Gate. They traveled through the great mine in silence and when Gandalf showed them what riches lay in the veins of metal, they were in awe of the Mithril deposits around them. When they came to a passage that had several options to explore, Gandalf couldn't remember the way out and they took their rest. Daenerys had been tired and irritable for the last few hours, so she took that time to lay down for a nap and asked if they would wake her if Gandalf found the way.

She found sleep quickly and her dreams were plagued with Thranduil. She'd begun to ache in her heart from not seeing him. She suspected that she had bonded more deeply with him than she had thought. She had once told him that her kind can become quite pained when separated from their mates. Daenerys believed that she might have bonded to him in that way. It was uncommon for such a thing to happen but she was glad for it. To her, it meant she had found the kind of love she'd dreamed of as a child. She awoke to the shaking of Pippin's hands and his excited face. Gandalf must have remembered where to go. She stood up and stretched and then took the rear guard position as they walked further into the darkness of the mine.

There was a chamber that they were meant to pass by that Gimli saw and rushed to. His sorrowful cries brought them in after him. There was a tomb in the middle of the chamber and Dwarvish writing covered it.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria. It is as I feared, then," Gandalf read solemnly. His eyes caught sight of a book being held by a Dwarf on the ground and he picked it up gently, barely disturbing the bones. Daenerys listened intently as the Wizard read from the book. It spoke of drums in the deep and the coming of the enemy. She was so intent, as were the others, that no one noticed when Pippin accidentally knocked a corpse and bucket down the well it sat upon. The racket it made was horrible and it made the whole Company jump. "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

When the first sound of drums were heard, there was a moment when they all froze. They looked to one another before Boromir stuck his head out the doors and then pulled back suddenly as arrows appeared in the wood. He closed the doors and his voice was incredulous.

"They have a cave-troll!"

Aragorn and Boromir began to bar the doors with axes that Legolas tossed to them from the dead. Daenerys made sure that the Hobbits were behind her and Gimli stood upon the tomb of his cousin.

"Let them come!" he cried. "There is still one Dwarf in Moria that still draws breath!"

"Get ready!" Daenerys cried. The pounding at the door became intense and pieces of wood fell to the ground. Legolas loosed a few arrows through the holes but the doors were torn open by the cave-troll that Boromir had seen. Once that troll was in with them, the battle was a blur. The Hobbits were doing their best to fight but had little training and tried to stay out of the way most of the time. The moment when the troll picked up the spear that Aragorn had dropped and thrust it into Frodo's chest caused Daenerys to use her ability to pick up the last four Orcs surrounding her and twist their heads to unnatural angles. Pippin and Merry jumped on the back of the troll, stabbing with their small swords and crying out in rage while Legolas took aim. His arrow struck true and went into the creatures head through his mouth. Aragorn crawled over to the prone Hobbit and they all feared the worst.

When Frodo sat up straight, unharmed, they all breathed a sigh of relief. It was then that they discovered that the mithril shirt that had been discussed on their second day through the mines was tucked away against his own body. It was a most welcome surprise. With the doorway open for the moment, they chose then to run out to the great underground city, hoping to outrun the hoard of Orcs swarming from the deep. They were surrounded in no time at all and as they began to feel that this was to be their fate, a deep roar shook through those ancient halls. The Orcs trembled and retreated in terror as a bright light from far away began to slink towards their position. Daenerys looked to Gandalf for guidance but saw the resignation on his face instead. _He knew this thing was here,_ she realized.

"What new devilry is this?" Boromir asked with his sword drawn.

"It is a Balrog. This enemy is beyond any of you. Run!" Gandalf replied as Legolas lowered his bow and put away his arrow. They followed the Wizard as he led them where they needed to go. A great and empty room that contained a staircase. As they descended, they had no time to look at the beauty of the place they were in. Boromir stopped suddenly and nearly fell to his death when Legolas pulled him back. There was a section of stairs missing and they were forced to leap over. Aragorn tossed the Hobbits over one at a time after Gimli took his leap and Daenerys after him. Only Aragorn and Frodo remained. The stairs began to crumble again and the way was too long for them to jump it. Daenerys was about to suggest that she use her ability to bring them over when the cavern rumbled and a great boulder fell down from the ceiling and broke the stairs behind them. She realized that the stone was beginning to fall sideways and had only one choice. She concentrated hard and pulled the great staircase forward to them instead, to give them a chance at making it. Blood flowed from her nose freely as she worked hard to make it go the way she needed it. When Aragorn and Frodo were safely on their feet before her, Daenerys let the great stone fall and Legolas had to step forward to catch her, lest she fall into the burning chasm below.

"Is she all right?" cried Frodo as Legolas handed her off to Boromir, who threw her into a fireman's carry.

"She is just exhausted! Run, young Hobbit!" Aragorn replied as they all ran for the bridge that would lead them to daylight. They made it across the bridge, all except Gandalf. He stood behind, his staff shining brightly and his sword drawn.

"You cannot pass!" he cried and they all stood in rapt attention at the sight. Daenerys lifted her head up and tapped Boromir on the side. He let her down and she wobbled slightly before gaining her footing. She watched as the Balrog, a creature of pure flame and shadow, stood before the Wizard with a whip made of fire and a flaming sword raised. It lashed out with the sword and was met with a barrier of light. "I am a keeper of the flame of Arnor, wielder of the secret fire! Flame of Ûdune, you shall not PASS!"

Gandalf struck his staff against the bridge and a bright light surrounded him. The horrible creature stepped forward and as soon as it did, the bridge gave way beneath him. He started to fall and they all watched as it began to slip out of sight. It was when Gandalf turned to walk away that the whip rebounded and began to pull him down with it. Daenerys reached out one hand, trying to save the kindly Wizard but she was too weak and cried out in pain as she stretched herself too far. He held onto the edge for a moment before turning his eyes to Aragorn. "Fly, you fools!"

"No! Gandalf!" cried Frodo as the old man lost his grip and fell to the darkness below. Shock filled the young Hobbit at the sight of someone he cared about so much dying before his eyes. Aragorn screamed for them to move and they finally did. Frodo was struggling against Boromir as he pulled the Hobbit away and they fled the mine. They poured out of the East Gate and the Hobbits collapsed in grief and horror. Daenerys was barely able to stand up and tried to head back inside but was unable to resist when Legolas pulled her back. A sob broke free from her lips and she sank back down. Her nose was still bleeding and it was Merry who came to give her a handkerchief quietly after Boromir got him and Pippin back up. Weakened, but still able to carry herself, she stood and followed quietly as they raced to the woods of Lothlórien. She tuned out the words of Gimli as she tried to deal with her grief. She and the Wizard had not been seeing eye-to-eye but she still cared for him.

"The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," Haldir said, shaking her from her own thoughts. There was an arrow pointed right between her eyes. They were led to the talons in the mallorn trees they had been walking past. "You bring great evil with you. You can come no further."

While Aragorn argued and begged Haldir and the galadhrim to allow them safe passage, the others sat, waiting for the verdict. Legolas couldn't help but think that he'd never seen his stepmother so weakened before. She'd always seemed so in control and capable. To see her falter was surprising and reminded him that she was not an Elf. Boromir's thoughts were angrier than the others. He had seen how she manipulated that piece of staircase to fall in just the right way for Aragorn and Frodo to make it to safety. _Why did she not do the same for Gandalf? She could have if she'd wanted to!_ He thought. _I was right before. She is a creature of darker purpose. I may have to kill her if she tries something._

It seemed an eternity before they finally gave permission for their passage to Caras Galadhon. However, there was the matter of Gimli to be addressed first. Dwarves had never been permitted to this part of Elvendom and with that fact, he would have to be blindfolded if he was to come into that kingdom. It wasn't until all in the Fellowship agreed to be blindfolded for the journey that they agreed to the terms. Legolas was saddened that he would not get to look upon the trees and the sights of the famed woods. When they arrived, the blindfolds were taken from their eyes and even Daenerys had to gasp at the beauty of the great city. It was truly a city of light. Even in the daylight, it glowed. They were led to an area where they would wait while Galadriel and Celeborn were notified of their arrival and would greet them. It wasn't long before they came out. Throughout the beginning of the meeting, Daenerys could hear Galadriel in her mind. While Celeborn began the conversation, she heard, _"Welcome Daenerys, Queen of Mirkwood. Your husband sent a message that he would have words with you when you return home. I sense that he is not happy with the choice you made of joining this quest."_

She nodded slightly to acknowledge that she'd gotten the message and then turned to listen to what was being said.

"Nine there are here yet ten set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I have much desire to speak with him," Celeborn asked and an immediate sadness fell over the fellowship.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of these lands. He has fallen into shadow," Galadriel looked shaken by this thought.

"He was taken by a Balrog of Morgoth, for we went needlessly into the net of Moria," Legolas responded with sadness rent upon his face.

"None of the deeds of Gandalf the Grey were needless in life. We do not yet know his full purpose," she responded. Again, as she spoke, Daenerys heard her voice in her head, _"I would speak with you. Something of great importance weighs on my mind."_

"The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet, hope remains while company is true," Galadriel announced. She told the company to take their rest and after a moment they dispersed. It wasn't long before the mournful song rose up among the Elves of Caras Galadhon. It brought back the shame of Daenerys's failure, the shame that she couldn't save the Wizard when he'd fallen. A shame that was thrown in her face by Boromir as soon as he found her alone.

* * *

"You could have saved him!" Boromir accused openly and she turned away. It had been a day since they'd arrived and she'd sought solitude beneath the stars to think and grieve in private. "You should never have been a part of this quest. Gandalf would still be alive if not for you!"

"You know nothing, Boromir. I wish I could have saved him but I was too weak. I was spent from the staircase. Please, just go and take your rest," she responded stiffly. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Lies! You are a witch and you are in league with the enemy!" he growled and his grip on her arm tightened painfully.

"Boromir, you are full of grief, so I will let your accusations go this time. But if ever you wish to hold anything with that hand again, you will remove it from my arm," her voice was filled with the threat and she had the gall to make good on it. He glared in response but released her arm before backing away. It would not do for him to try something here where the Elves would defend her as their own. She flexed her arm and rubbed the bruised flesh angrily. _He's lucky that I've become more forgiving since I've been here. I used to kill for less,_ she thought. She found herself wandering through the mallorn trees. She missed Thranduil. She would have loved to hear his deep and smooth voice, even if it was to scold her for being foolish enough to join this quest. She could almost hear it now, if she tried.

 _"Your thoughts are troubled,"_ Galadriel spoke in Elvish from behind her, startling the Hybrid. Daenerys turned with a hand on her chest to still her heart again.

 _"Yes, they are. I miss Thranduil. But that is not the important thing,"_ she responded. _"You wished to speak to me about something troubling you. What may I do to serve your needs, Galadriel?"_

 _"Gandalf once told me that you were meant to leave this world a long time ago and that he stopped you. You had said that it was your destiny to leave."_

 _"Yes, I did say that. What of it?"_

 _"What was your destiny, my friend?"_

 _"I was pulled to several different worlds to face trials. I think they were meant to make me stronger so that I could face a great evil. Every time I'm pulled from one world to another, I'm put through terrible agony. I burn and freeze at the same time. My arm is crushed by the force of the magic that surrounds me. I used to be angry with Gandalf for stopping me from going. I had only wanted to see my children. I never got the chance to tell him that I forgave him. His interference gave me the time to fall in love with Thranduil,"_ Daenerys replied.

 _"I fear that you were meant to be gone from this world long before the Fellowship formed, then. You were not meant to love Thranduil and he was not meant to love you,"_ Galadriel frowned. Daenerys looked down at her hands, which had begun to twist. _"You were not meant to be a part of this quest."_

"Then what should I do?" she challenged. "I can't turn my back and I can't return to my world. I don't think I could part from Thranduil. It would break his heart and I couldn't bear that."

"I cannot advise you on the matter of your heart or his. But your destiny has been weighing on my mind of late. I would have you gaze into the mirror tonight. There is much to see and much I would discuss with you," Galadriel had raised her hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I will come to you when the moon is at its apex," the dark-haired Hybrid said quietly before leaving the fair-haired Elf. They'd been walking towards where the rest of the Fellowship was taking their rest. She noticed that Frodo was watching Galadriel and followed her quietly when he thought no one else was watching. Daenerys went to sit by her things and began tending to the swords she carried. She cleaned them carefully, making sure that they were still sharp and ready for the next battle. The next thing she began to tend to were her knives. Each dagger was carefully cleaned and worked over. When the moon reached the highest point in the sky, Daenerys stood from her place and watched with curiosity as Frodo came back from Galadriel's Mirror with a troubled look on his face. He barely glanced at her before he returned to where the other Hobbits had taken up their residence.

Slowly, she walked down to meet the wise Elf. Everything was glowing and seemed to reflect the moonlight and the starlight from above. It was so different from the caves of the kingdom she'd grown to love. When she reached Galadriel, she looked as though she had been through a terrible ordeal. Her skin was paler than usual. She did not realize that Frodo had offered her the Ring and that she had resisted at a great price. She would diminish and go into the West once this war was over. Blue eyes rose up to meet the brown eyes of the Hybrid.

"Come and look into the Mirror, Daenerys," her voice was soft and strong. She approached the dais slowly and peered into the water. There was nothing at first. Intently, she leaned a little closer and then she saw it. A shadow following her, moving when she moved, stopping when she stopped. It was following her and the Fellowship. The image changed and showed another Hybrid, one she didn't recognize. It was a male and its face was distorted to that of a Lycan of greater size than she had ever seen. It was horrifying. It raised a great clawed hand and swiped down, killing Legolas and Gimli in an instant. Another swipe had it killing Aragorn. Its eyes settled on her next with a vicious snarl. She saw Thranduil, in his armor and in all his glory, fall as the creature ripped out his throat. The image changed yet again to show the Slayerettes and Lucian gearing up for battle with something great and terrible. Shadow surrounded them and swallowed them all whole and a world turned to darkness with billions screaming out in a deafening tone. She pulled back and fell to the ground with wide eyes. Daenerys was panting and a scream wanted to twist from her throat but it remained locked inside.

"You have seen what is to come if you should fail in the new test appointed to you. Your trial was meant to be over when you saved Thranduil, when you began the process of awakening his cold heart. It was meant to be that Tauriel's grief would finish that awakening when Kili died. A new trial is at hand. Once it is completed, you may yet travel back to the world from whence you came."

"Then I won't fail," the Hybrid said with more confidence than she felt. To see the people she cared about torn to pieces had shaken her to her very foundations. And a shadow followed the Fellowship because it was following her. Something was coming and it would strike soon now that Gandalf was gone from their ranks. She suspected that he was the only reason it didn't strike before. "How long has that shadow been following us?"

"It has only followed _you._ It followed you from Mirkwood to Rivendell when you went to visit the family of Elrond. It has remained outside of the borders of the Last Homely House since. Until you left with the Fellowship," she replied. Her eyes carefully gauged the other woman's reaction. A dark look crossed her face and she immediately felt a sickness in her stomach.

"Can I defeat it?" it was the first sign of uncertainty that Daenerys had felt in centuries when it came to her abilities in combat. Whatever this shadow was, it was likely that Lycan from the vision. She'd never seen something so massive from her kind.

"You may yet have that power ahead of you but first, you must hold it off. I foresee many worlds you have yet to visit, Traveler. You are descended from the Chosen. To defeat this evil, you must complete the task appointed to you."

Daenerys stood up from where she'd fallen in silence. She was going to be forced through a secondary trial in this world and now she knew for sure that once it was done, she was going to be taken away. Walking back, Legolas tried to ask her if she was all right. She didn't hear him. He'd noticed her ashen appearance and was concerned about the distant look in her eyes. If she'd been an Elf, he would have thought she was suffering from intense grief. It made him wonder what Galadriel had said to the woman his father loved. Aragorn was not blind to the change in her disposition either. Although he'd not trusted her much in the beginning, he held a deeper respect for her now and realized that she was a gentle soul at her core. He could see why a King of Elves would take her for his bride. To see her in such a state concerned him.

 _"What troubles you?"_ Legolas tried again. She looked at him and swallowed before shaking her head.

 _"Nothing that you or the others can help with, my friend,"_ she responded, glancing at Aragorn. He was only a few feet away and he nodded in understanding. _"I will be fine."_

* * *

The boats were packed with all of the supplies they could carry with them for the next few weeks. Lembas bread, arrows, bedrolls, dried fruits and meats. Taking stock of what was left to be loaded, Daenerys wondered how long it would be before she would have to separate from them all for their safety. If the shadow was only after her, she would be putting them all in danger by sticking around. On the other side of the equation was that if she didn't part from the Fellowship, they had a greater chance of success. She wasn't likely to go after the Ring because it made her sick to even think of it. She was confused, to say the least. And she couldn't say a word to anyone of it.

Before they left by the river, the Elves of Caras Galadhon gave them each a gift. Merry and Pippin each got daggers. Gimli received three hairs from Galadriel's golden head. Legolas received a bow of the Galadhrim, a great gift for such a talented archer. Aragorn received the blessing of Galadriel for his betrothal to her granddaughter, Arwen. Frodo was given the Light of Eärendil, the most beloved star of the Elves and to Sam, a rope made of Hithlain. Elvish rope was strong, lightweight and in the experience of Daenerys, was easily dislodged when you needed it down from where you'd tied it. Boromir had been given a golden belt and an Elven cloak, as were the rest of the Fellowship. Daenerys's gift was a cloak and ornately designed braces of mithril that were laid over the softest leather. The braces were feminine but still very much effective against an attack that might be laid against her.

She sat in the boat with Legolas and Gimli and as they floated down the river, she warred internally over whether or not she should leave them. She answered questions directed to her but didn't speak much while they were on the river. For the most part, her eyes searched the banks to see if the shadow was nearby. She was tense and on high alert. It was not missed by the others.

"Are you expecting something, lass?" Gimli asked gruffly when they stopped to rest one night. She frowned and shook her head.

"I'm not sure. I don't want to be caught off guard."

"Is there something you know that we do not?" Legolas chimed in. He'd been suspicious of her behavior for days. She was distant and cold, the complete opposite of what she'd been at the beginning of this quest. Over the weeks that they'd all traveled together, she'd been vibrant and enthusiastic. She'd had the one major confrontation with Boromir and that had ended with a stiffness between them but that had broken down to neither one speaking to the other at all since leaving Lórien.

"I know that we are being pursued, as Celeborn said," she responded quietly. "Other than that, I know nothing more than you do."

Legolas frowned. He'd seen her go and speak with Galadriel and he knew she was lying. She knew something more and for some reason, she wasn't revealing it. Daenerys was hiding something and he would discover what it was. The Elf went back to his work with the fire, tending to the flames and making sure that it didn't get too big. Gimli was regaling the Hobbits with stories of the Battle of the Five Armies as his father had told it to him and both Legolas and Daenerys were listening intently as they went about their own tasks. Legolas would comment on something offhandedly every now and again while Daenerys stayed quiet. She didn't even comment when Gimli boasted about how his father had seen some kind of sprite fly up into the air with a troll and brought it crashing back into the ground.

"That was Daenerys," Legolas said loud enough to be heard by the Dwarf and by the Hobbits.

"Nonsense!" Gimli roared. Daenerys had heard everything and turned at that with a raised brow.

"It was me," she confirmed. "I was surrounded by Orcs and trolls and I decided to take out quite a few of them all at once. So I flew up into the air and brought one of them with me. It was quite satisfying to see the little crater that formed from the impact. And to see so many Orcs crushed."

"If you were there, whose side were you fighting for?" Merry asked curiously. She looked to the Hobbit and smiled.

"I didn't condone the fact that Elves and Men were going to fight Dwarves for the gold in the Lonely Mountain. I was there to protect my son. You see, I had found a little boy on the road to Lake Town many years before. He was the only survivor of a terrible attack. He was very dear to me," she began and saw that all the Hobbits were leaning in to hear the story. Legolas had heard it before and listened as he took the first watch. Aragorn and Boromir leaned in slightly. They'd not heard this story.

"Was this while you were married to the King of Mirkwood?" Pippin asked. Daenerys smiled and shook her head.

"No. I'd met him before but at this time, I'd not yet married him. I took the boy, Arradir, to live with me as my son in Lake Town. I watched him become a man, marry and was there when he became a father. I watched his children grow and become parents. It was just after the birth of one of his grandchildren that Thorin and his Company came through. I knew that once they went to the mountain, they would wake Smaug and he would reap his vengeance upon the town. I bade my family to go to the ruins of Dale, where I'd lived before Smaug came down from the north. I had them hide there and followed them not long after. When the Dragon broke through the gates of Erebor and laid the Town to ruin, I watched from afar. I couldn't do anything to help them. I knew I was no match for a Dragon," she told them. Her audience was enamored with the story she was weaving.

She saw hands clenching during tense parts, and when she related how she'd giggled at Dain's proclamation of Thranduil being a 'pointy-eared princess,' and the resulting scowl, she spied a twitch on even Legolas's lips while the Hobbits laughed. Even Frodo laughed at that. It was a good guess that Bilbo had left that bit out of his tales when he'd told them. The story she was telling of the battle made her relax a bit. She didn't tell them the personal pieces regarding Thranduil. That wasn't their business, as she saw it. When the Hobbits learned that she enjoyed singing from that story, they begged her to sing for them. All of them wished to hear her sing, even Legolas. He hoped that it would bring her spirits up. She sighed heavily as she thought hard on what song she would sing. This world, with all its love for music, made her wish that she had an iPod and a set of speakers at times. Then she could give her voice a rest. She decided on _Full Moon_ by the Black Ghosts.

"When the thorn bush turns white, that's when I'll come home!

I am going out to see what I can sow!

And I don't know where I'll go

And I don't know what I'll see

But I'll try not to bring it back home with me!

Like the morning sun, your eyes will follow me.

As you watch me wander, curse the powers that be.

Cause all I want is here and now!

But it's already been and gone!

Our intentions always last that bit too long," she sang and then vocalized the instrumental part of the violin for a moment.

"Far, far away. No voices sounding.

No one around me. And you're still there!

Far, far away! No choices passing.

No time confounds me. And you're still there!

In the full moon's light I listen to the stream.

And in between the silence, hear you calling me!

But I don't know where I am

And I don't trust who I've been!

And if come home now, how will I ever leave?"

"That was wonderful! Are there any more great songs like that you can sing for us?" Pippin asked in delight. He'd never heard the like before and was eager to know if there was anything she knew that was fun. Perhaps a song about drinking?

"I have many songs, Master Pippin," she laughed lightly for the first time in a long while. "Perhaps a little while later. I'm tired from telling such a long story and we must rest at some point tonight."


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 26

In the morning light, everything looked stark and jagged. The closer we got to the falls, the closer my decision came. It was difficult to bear but the decision had to be made. I would either proceed to Mordor with the Fellowship, what remained of it, or I would have to leave the quest and draw the evil that followed me off. Either way could lead to the deaths of all involved in my life. Although telling my story of the Battle of the Five Armies had allowed me to relax and have some fun, I'd had nightmares of the visions I'd seen in Galadriel's mirror. The worst was the nightmare of seeing Thranduil die. I had woken up in a cold sweat every night from that one. Aragorn had expressed his concern when he saw me sit up with wide eyes last night. I told him I was fine and refused to speak of it further.

We were taking rest on the bank of the river opposite of where we needed to go. We'd planned on crossing at night so that the Orc patrols wouldn't see us. The Hobbits were sitting in a circle around the fire that Gimli had set up. Aragorn and Legolas were discussing the merits of crossing now versus later and I noticed that Boromir had left his shield behind so that he could gather wood for the camp. Legolas seemed to be more agitated than I'd seen him in a while. He was trying to urge Aragorn to cross before night fell. It wasn't until someone noticed that Frodo was missing that I went on high alert. I hadn't been inclined to disarm while we took our rest, so both swords and all of my daggers were strapped to my body. My arrows and bow were strapped to my back. I ran in the opposite direction of Aragorn as he began to search for the wayward Hobbit. I searched for a good twenty minutes before I heard something coming. I floated up to the higher branches of the tree I was standing next to. Looking down, I saw the monstrosities.

They were huge, much like the Orcs I'd seen in the battle for Erebor but they were different. They were Uruk-Hai and they bore the white hand of Saruman. The smell that emanated from them was horrendous. With a grimace, I began leaping through the trees in the direction I'd seen Aragorn take off. They were headed in that direction and I was going to ensure that Frodo didn't get captured. I took my bow out and carefully aimed at the filthy creatures below. The shaft quivered as it entered the back of the neck of a passing Uruk-Hai. The others looked up and roared in rage. I let my Hybrid face slip out and the mixture of a Lycan roar and a Vampire's hiss left my lips. I loosed another arrow and then pulled out my swords, dropping right into the middle of the group with a snarl.

I became Death incarnate. Most of the creatures continued onwards while some stopped to fight. I moved through my enemies like a dancer moves across a stage. Each opponent was like my temporary partner in the dance of Death and I was the ultimate victor in each battle. These creatures were strong but I was stronger. Legolas was cutting a swath through the enemy just as easily as I was and Gimli was making quite a dent in the numbers of the Uruk-Hai. We heard the Horn of Gondor sounding and knew that Boromir was in trouble. I lost sight of where Aragorn was and because I lost focus for a moment, I got a nasty gash on my right shoulder. Gritting my teeth, the battle continued around us. It was over too quickly and we chased after them until they were too far ahead. When Legolas stopped and stiffened, I peered around him and gasped. Boromir lay on the ground. Three thick arrows protruded from his chest and his pallor had faded terribly. His body was still and Aragorn was there, gently laying a kiss on the Gondorian's forehead. _He is dead, then,_ I thought solemnly. _That explains why I never saw him in the mirror._

It was a silent affair, for the most part, placing Boromir's body, his sword and his shield into one of the boats. We placed the Horn of Gondor in there as well. We were silent as we sent him over the falls. Aragorn told us that the Uruk-Hai had taken the Hobbits but he'd been clear that Sam and Frodo had escaped. They were on the other bank and at first, Legolas was eager to join them. Aragorn didn't move.

"You mean not to follow them?" the Elf asked in surprise.

"Frodo and Sam's fates are no longer in our hands," he responded.

"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli began to despair. I had the same feeling weighing on my heart.

"Not if we hold true to each other! We will not leave Merry and Pippin to be tortured and to death. Carry only what is necessary! We will travel light! Now, let us hunt some Orc!" Aragorn cried and I felt that cry resonate within me. My decision, the one I'd agonized over for days, was made. I would not leave the Halflings to die at the hands of such creatures and I would not let my friends hunt them alone, shadow be damned. We gathered what supplies we needed and we ran. It was on our third day of chase, when my lungs were beginning to burn and my body felt like it was to the breaking point that I saw it following behind. It was massive. Black fur and the distinct shape of a Lycan, the largest I'd ever seen in my life, gaining upon our position until I turned back to face it. I threw a punch at its face and it roared before backhanding me hard and I flew back and struck a rock. By now the others had turned and were running back to aid me. Legolas loosed several arrows.

"No!" I cried as it got closer. It stopped and snarled at me and then began to shrink down until it was at a normal Lycan size. Then, it began to take on a more human appearance. It had already pulled out all the arrows and the wounds were healed almost instantly. I stood up and our group surrounded it and it became a naked man. A man that I knew I should recognize but I couldn't place the face. Dirty blond hair, blue eyes, a narrow nose and lips twisted into an angry snarl. It wasn't until that snarl twisted into a dark smile that I knew who it was. His name left my lips with the incredulity of knowing that he should not have been there. "Derrik Kingsley?"

"So you do remember me," his voice was rough and his eyes narrowed at me.

"How could I forget?" I responded faintly. There were nervous looks between me and him from Legolas and Aragorn. Gimli was tense and only focused on him. "How?"

He began to walk nonchalantly in a semi-circle around me and the others moved when he did. "You wouldn't believe what I've been through," he said conversationally. "You know, when you disappeared, they thought I'd killed you."

"Who is this, Daenerys?" Legolas asked with alarm and danger in his stance. He had an arrow drawn on the string of his bow and he was ready to let it loose.

"Oh, is this who you're shacking up with now?" Derrik asked in a taunting voice. At my grimace, "So, not the pretty boy. I'm guessing it isn't the other two either. Doesn't matter. I have had quite the time catching up to you, Danni-girl."

"How are you here, Derrik?" I demanded in a stronger voice. He laughed and shook his head.

"You know, when you disappeared, your bestie, Margaret? She called the police and said I must have done something to you. Your creepy neighbor, Jared said he saw you with a strange package the day you disappeared. They thought I was some kind of freak when they saw the state of your home. Your cat, what was its name?"

"Mimzy," I said automatically. I hadn't thought of that grey fur ball in centuries.

"Mimzy," he nodded. "She was a real mess. That animal's blood was all over the hallway and the bathroom. I was held by the cops for days, being asked where I'd hid your body. I was all over the news. Your parents? Devastated. I was painted as this _monster_ that beat you and killed you for leaving me."

"You still haven't answered me, Derrik. How the _hell_ did you get here? What happened to you?" I cried as I drew my swords. I was going to kill him if he didn't answer me. He was much changed but still much the same. He was still strong of body and weak of mind. He was focused on bringing me pain.

"I was approached by a man, though I'm not sure that was the right name for him. He told me he knew where you went and he could send me to where you were right at that moment. I was concerned, you know?" he laughed. "I thought I'd come save you. But you'd become this… thing. A Lycan, they called it. Daenerys, the leader of the Lycans in America. Imagine my surprise at that! You know, I let one of those things bite me so I could get close to you in 1647 but you were always too far out of my reach? I followed you to America, you know. I was always there, always…"

I looked into his eyes and felt sick. There was nothing but madness left there. "You went insane, didn't you?" I asked in horror. "You couldn't handle the immortality."

"Oh, no, Danni…" he giggled. "I had something to focus on. I had you. You know that company you helped to build? They developed a serum based off the unique hybrid child of Selene and Michael. I was a second test subject in the experiment. Things went wrong, though. Selene and her brat broke free and they killed off the heads of the project. I decided to take a massive dose of the serum just as I was brought here. You wouldn't believe what this stuff can do, Danni-girl!"

"I don't think I want to know," I replied. "Look, you want me, you have me. Let the rest go. They have another mission to complete. I'll stay and we can work this out."

He seemed to consider it briefly. I flicked my eyes back to my companions, silently begging them to back off. I had no idea what Derrik was capable of now and I didn't want to take chances. Instead of heeding my begging eyes, they seemed to edge closer. He pursed his lips and then smiled, nodding.

"Aragorn! Find Merry and Pippin! They need your help more than I do right now. This is _my_ battle. I will join you shortly, I promise," I announced and saw Legolas's head whip around to me. I didn't look over at him.

"We will not leave you –" the Elf was about to protest and I shouted over him.

"You _will_ leave now and I will join you soon. _Go."_

I kept my eyes on Derrik and my swords drawn. I listened while the others slowly withdrew. I listened to their footsteps as they got further and further away.

"It doesn't matter how far they go, Danni. I'm going to find them when I'm done with you. Then I'm going to find out who it is you're fucking and I'm going to kill them, too. I'll kill them slowly and I'll tell them all about how I made you suffer," Derrik said as he sauntered closer. "I owe you _so_ much pain."

"I'm sorry about what happened to you Derrik. I really am, but I didn't do this to you. You did this to yourself," I told him as I backed away.

"Oh, no, Danni. You did this to yourself. You left me. You _left_ me! I loved you so much it hurt," his face twisted in pain as he continued to step forward, changing further and further back into the beast he'd arrived as. I didn't respond, only watched in disgust and horror as he changed into the massive Lycan. He bounded forward and I slashed out with one sword that sliced into his flank before it healed. He bit my left arm hard and I screamed as I dropped the sword. He shook his massive head and my other sword dropped as I was thrown back and forth. I was like a ragdoll. I sailed through the air when he let go and grunted when I hit the ground. My arm throbbed and I reached out, the blade given by Thranduil thumped into my waiting right palm. I ran forward and leapt high into the air. I could see that the others were not far. They were waiting to see the outcome of this fight.

I came down on the massive beast's head with the sword but he brushed it off. The longer I fought, the weaker I became. I hadn't fed on blood in weeks, so my healing ability was only as fast as a human's. Every wound made me slower and I had quite a few now. My concentration was wavering from my broken arm and I couldn't focus anymore. Derrik swiped at me and I hit the ground hard. When I looked up, he'd begun to shrink down to his human form. He crouched next to me, naked and grinning.

"Oh, Danni-girl," he said as he brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. His touch was almost tender. "I knew you hadn't fed in a while. You've become too noble since you got here. I know you would have fed on the body of that man before this world, even if it was just to gain a little strength. You've become soft. Weak."

"Why are you doing this?" I groaned as I tried to shy away from his unwanted touch.

"Because he told me to."

"Who?"

"The one who gave me the chance to follow you. He said if he can have you dead, everything falls into place," he was stroking my hair now. "But I think I'd like to try something a little more fun. I think I'd like to keep you alive. As my girl. Oh, the things I'll do to you… It'll be so much fun…"

"I'll never be your girl," I growled and then spat in his face. His face twisted into rage and before I could react, his hand had become claws and had buried itself into my abdomen. The wind was knocked from me in a pained howl. Stars burst before my eyes as I felt his hand reach through tissue and grab hold of something sturdy. My fingers twitched as they released the hilt of my sword. In the haze of agony, I saw Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had started running back to me. The look of horror on their faces were like daggers to me. It looked as bad as it felt, then. Then agony ripped through me again as Derrik, used his other hand to turn my head to face him. He looked me in the eyes as he severed my spine in just the right spot to inflict maximum suffering. I lost all feeling below my navel. I didn't realize that the screaming I was hearing had come from my own lips as he ripped his hand out and began to lick the blood there.

"You'll never be anyone's girl again," he laughed. My fingers wrapped around a dagger that I had still on my hip. I was going to lose consciousness soon and I had to act fast. Looking back to my companions I gave them a look that I hoped conveyed how sorry I was. I didn't look for their reaction as I wrapped my arms around Derrik and concentrated on propelling us upwards. If I was right, and I was sure that I was, he hadn't gained the powers of flight and telekinesis like I had. His startled cry was all I needed to confirm this. We shot up into the sky, so high up that the air was getting thin. He struggled against me but I was sure that if he fell from this height, it wouldn't matter how fast he could heal. He'd be a big wet mess on the ground. But not before I stuck him with the dagger in his neck.

"Go fuck yourself Derrik!" I cried as I began heading back to the ground at maximum velocity, dragging him with me. He pulled the knife from his neck and I let go of him. Shock filled me as he grabbed hold of me and then buried his clawed hand into my chest. As we were falling, could feel him trying to grab hold of my heart but reality had begun to warp around us. I felt no pain but was vaguely satisfied as his face contorted into agony. Symbols drawn on his chest glowed and a black hole opened up behind him before he could gain purchase with his seeking hand in my chest. He was pulled away with an angry howl and I was left paralyzed from the waist down with two gaping holes in my body, falling to the ground at terrible speed. I lifted my arms and barely managed to slow my descent to something that I would live through. Trees were below me. The branches tore at me as I fell. I crashed into the ground and bones in my body began to snap like twigs. One of my arms and both legs were broken. My vertebrae were probably crushed and I could barely breathe.

My eyes flitted around me and I gave a terrible gurgling sound. I knew this place and it broke my heart to realize that this is where I would die. I could feel my body giving up. This was going to be it. The sunlight filtered down from the trees and I felt comforted by the sounds of the birds twittering overhead. It was beautiful and I drifted in and out of consciousness in a state of mixed agony and bliss. I don't know how I lingered for so long. The light faded into night and it grew colder. The moon's light soon drifted through my position on the ground. My wounds were crusted with dried blood and even the movement of my chest, though slight, caused new droplets to form and dribble. My pain was fading and I knew that was the worst thing that could be happening. It meant my body really was dying. The dawn approached and I began to fall asleep.

I heard a cry of horror and voices calling out for help. I'd drifted more in the air than I'd intended. The darkened forest around me was more familiar than I thought. _I must have been thinking of him and not realized it,_ I thought in a daze as makeshift bandages were pressed to my wounds. I wheezed and tried to take in a breath of the air I'd come to love. I tried to enjoy those last moments of feeling the leaves under my body. I heard a terrible commotion not too far off as people tried to restrain someone. My vision was darkening so when I saw his face, I tried to take a breath and smile. It sounded more like I was strangling myself than anything else. Who knows what that smile looked like? The grief on Thranduil's face broke my heart. My good arm flopped uselessly at my side. I wanted to touch him, to comfort him.

"No, no, no!" he murmured as though that declaration could save me. He turned around and commanded, "Find an animal! Something! Bring it now!"

"It's too late," I choked. His head snapped around and he shook it.

"No. It is not too late," he declared with determination. I lifted my one good arm and endured the agony of the motion as I let my fingers come to rest on his cheek.

"It's too late," I said more softly. "You remember what I said the night we bonded?"

"Je t'aime," he answered tersely.

"I never told you what it meant. It means 'I love you.' And I do love you, Thranduil," I coughed wetly and tasted blood. Derrik's claws must have shredded a hole in one of my lungs. My lung was collapsing, I could feel it. I'd probably been slowly drowning throughout the night. A tear leaked from the corner of each of my eyes. "I thought I'd dreamed you into life when I first saw you."

"You can tell me these things once you have fed," his voice was beginning to falter a little now. My vision was darkening further. I could see the other Elves that were trying to save my life had slowed their actions. They could see what he was denying. He looked up and then shook his head. "Leave us! Now!"

The others left with pity in their eyes for their King. He was about to lose his love for a second time. Each breath was a labor that I was failing to complete properly. His fingers danced over my forehead, my cheeks and my lips. Then, he lifted the front half of my body up slightly and into his lap, holding me in his arms. His fingers were gentle on my cheek and I closed my eyes. This was what I wanted my last moments to be. I opened my eyes in surprise when I felt a warm liquid on my lips and smelled blood that wasn't mine in the air. Thranduil had pulled a blade from his belt and made a small cut on his neck. I shook my head and moaned weakly. I knew what he was doing but _he_ didn't. I tried to push him away as he pulled me closer.

"No, don't. _Please_ ," I moaned. "I could kill you. It's too dangerous…"

"I won't lose you," he whispered. "I trust you."

He pressed his lips to mine and then pressed my lips to the tiny wound. I tried not to let his blood pass my lips but once the first drop touched my tongue, I started to lap at the cut. If his mouth tasted like honey, his blood tasted sweeter, so much sweeter than anything I'd ever tasted before. The wound stopped bleeding long before I was ready and so I bit the soft, pale flesh of Thranduil's neck. He gasped and his grip on my body stiffened slightly. I sucked slowly on the sweet blood, my one good hand tangling in his hair, caressing his cheek. That simple touch of his skin kept me grounded, kept me from drinking greedily as my instincts demanded. He groaned softly when my fingers brushed with the tip of his ear. With every mouthful that I swallowed, I could feel myself becoming stronger. I was healing faster than I had ever before. I pulled away from his neck with a gasp of agony as my spine aligned itself and nerves reconnected. My breath came easier and I moaned as I felt bones knitting themselves back together.

"Daenerys? Daenerys?" I could hear my name faintly but there was something else in the background. My back arched as I heard something that sounded like a song. I gasped and my newly mended arm jerked. My hand grabbed the material of Thranduil's robes. I felt warm from the inside out and the song in my head intensified until I could hear a voice that wasn't a voice. If I tried to concentrate on it, I could see something white and beautiful that burned away the darkness in my soul. It was overwhelming and I was consumed by it.

* * *

I felt like I was floating. There was nothing but a bright light all around me. It was warm and beautiful and I didn't want to leave. It was peaceful. So peaceful.

 ** _You were never meant for this,_** I heard from all around me. There was no actual voice, only the knowledge I was being spoken to. I didn't have to speak to respond either. I was confused.

 _What do you mean?_

 ** _You were never meant to taste the blood of the Eldar, nor have the love of one of my children._**

 _Who are you?_

 ** _I am known as Illúvatar, Eru, The One. I am the creator of this world._**

I gasped at this. If I could have bowed or shown my great awe and respect for this being, I would have shown it. It seemed that I did not need to do anything more than what I was already doing.

 ** _I accept your reverence and respect, Daenerys Aerilyn. I have seen your heart. I have seen your soul. You are meant for a great task ahead of you and I would give you two gifts for what you have done and what you will do for all worlds._**

 _What I will do?_ I wondered faintly.

 ** _You have my blessing now and my blessing on your union with Thranduil. Because he was willing to risk his life for yours, I will give my first gift: If you should feed from Thranduil in the future, no matter how much blood you take from him, he will not weaken or die. He will remain vibrant and strong. Any wound you inflict upon him from your feeding will heal at the moment you are done._**

 _Why would you do this?_

 ** _His blood tasted sweet to you?_**

 _Yes, the sweetest I've ever tasted._ The mere thought of it made my mouth water.

 ** _You were never meant to taste the blood of the Eldar,_** the voice repeated, **_but you showed remarkable restraint when you tasted it today. You took only what you needed. This was part of the new trial you were to face._**

 _In the past, I might not have had the control to stop myself._

 ** _That is why this was part of the trial._**

 _The vision… it wasn't Derrik tearing out Thranduil's throat, it was me, wasn't it?_ The very thought filled me with dread and disgust. I felt as though Eru was acknowledging this as the light shifted.

 ** _You have passed your trial, Daenerys Aerilyn. There is another trial you must yet face. For this, I give you my next gift…_**

* * *

I awoke before I could hear the next words. Looking down, I saw that I was dressed in the silken white shift I would wear to bed when I was at home with Thranduil. I felt stronger than I have ever felt before. I lifted a hand to my face with the intent of rubbing my eyes and froze. _I was glowing._ Not brightly, but my skin had a slight luminescence to it, like the Elves do. I began to sit up and then he was there, with a hand pushing me back down to the blankets and sheets. I looked up to him and it was like I was seeing him for the first time all over again. He was vibrant and bright. There was no evidence of my having ever bitten him. The flesh of his neck was completely untouched.

"Do not move, Daenerys," he bade me softly. He had concern written all over his face. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Do I hurt? No! Thranduil, are _you_ hurt?" I asked with horror at what I'd done. I'd worked so hard over the years to ensure that I never fed from him or any Elf and knowing I'd bitten him scared me badly. He smiled and showed me his neck. The memory of those words without a voice came back to me in a daze as my fingers grazed where his flesh should have been damaged. **_No matter how much blood you take from him, he will not weaken or die. He will remain vibrant and strong. Any wound you inflict upon him from your feeding will heal at the moment you are done…_**

"Daenerys?" he asked. I knew he was curious about his own fast healing and I looked into his eyes.

"I think… I think I had a dream where Eru spoke to me. This," I gently touched where I'd bitten him, "was a part of a test. He knew I would be wounded. My test was to see if I could take just enough to heal or if I would kill for every last drop. He didn't expect it to be you, though… He said that for what I have done and will do, he was going to give me two gifts…"

"Two gifts from Illúvatar?" he asked with genuine surprise.

"Yes. He said he would give his blessing on me and on our union and that his first gift was that…" I paused for a moment, taking in the widened eyes he had at that. His fingers ran over my faintly glowing flesh. I tried remembering the rest of what he'd said, "The first gift was because I had shown restraint when you offered your blood to save me, if I ever should feed from you in the future, you will not weaken or die, no matter how much I take. You will stay strong and vibrant and you will heal from the wound I cause you as soon as my feeding is done."

Again, my fingers grazed where the mark of my bite should have been. "I would gladly give you my blood," he murmured as his hand gently took mine. "What was the second gift?"

"I don't know. I woke before I could hear that part," I frowned. I looked around our room and felt deep confusion. "Am I still dreaming? This can't be real."

"It is very real, my love," he responded. He sat down next to me on the bed and pulled me closer to him. "Are you sure you are all right?"

I placed my hands on his face and smiled. "I feel better than I have ever been. I feel so… Alive!"

He moved forward and kissed me softly and I felt like electricity had sparked inside of me. I felt a passion I'd never felt before encompass me. It must have taken him, too. He grasped the silk shift and pulled it from my body and I fumbled with pulling at his clothes in return. I'd barely pushed his second shirt out of the way when he pushed me into our bed. He pulled away only to remove the rest of his clothing himself. Our union was desperate, hungry. Our mouths and bodies moved hard upon one another. Thranduil picked my hips up as he leaned back until he was standing. He pulled me to the edge of the bed and then thrust into me at an intense pace. I propped myself up on one elbow and reached up to his chest. I could feel his heart pounding hard and he matched his thrusts in time. I pulled him down to kiss me and felt the rush of my release. He reached his completion moments after I reached mine and my eyes closed tightly at the sensation of being whole again. When I opened them again, I felt surprise as I saw something incredible.

I could see a faint aura surrounding him that I knew was mine. I could _see_ myself all around him. Looking down at my body, I could see his aura surrounding me. I wasn't sure how I knew what it was I saw but I just did. I took his hands into mine and stared in wonder at how our auras mixed and changed where our flesh was joined.

"You can see it now." It was a statement that I nodded to slowly. I knew what he was talking about. I could see the energy my body gave off mixing with his. His aura was pure white and mine was like a blueish color.

"You see like this all the time?" I whispered. Thranduil nodded as he leaned down and captured my lips in a fierce kiss. We made love again and again and one more time after that, just because I missed his touch so much. It was the first time I'd ever seen Thranduil sweat. We lay in a tangled mess of arms and legs for a long time, our eyes roaming over each other as our bodies were too tired. I slept well that night, exhausted and satisfied. Thranduil didn't move much during the night, other than to adjust where I was sleeping on him. When I woke the next morning, he was gazing at me intently. I smiled up at him lazily. _This is what I've been missing,_ I thought. I groaned slightly as I sat up and stretched. I was sore inside and out. Sex with Thranduil was the kind that took a lot of stamina. He could literally go on for hours and last night… Well, I was going to be sore for a long, long while.

"Are you all right?" he asked with a slightly playful glint in his eye. He knew just how I felt. There was one night nearly thirty years ago where I'd gotten very, _very_ drunk on wine. I'd been extremely horny and had demanded that he take me, make me his in every way he could think of. And, _oh._ He _did._ He took me on every surface of our room. The things he could do with his tongue, with his fingers, had blown my mind. I couldn't even walk the next day without the throbbing between my thighs as a reminder of how hard he'd worked to satisfy my demands. _Nearly six thousand years of life and experience certainly add up to a special kind of_ wow _in bed._

"I'll be all right," I smiled. He sat up and his hair, which I could play with forever, slid perfectly into place. I leaned into his touch when he cupped my cheek. I sighed softly and kissed his thumb when it ran over my lips.

"I want you to stay here, Daenerys," he said softly. I could hear the longing in his voice and it warmed my heart. "I missed you far too much to ever be parted again. When you were sleeping…"

"How long have I been here?"

He was silent for a moment as he stared at me. I felt my stomach drop and the smile left my face. I began to back away and got off the bed. His eyes followed me in silence while he stood.

"How long have I been here, Thranduil?"

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks?"

"Yes."

I immediately turned and began to look for my armor and travel leathers. He was behind me in an instant, spinning me to face him. Thranduil had his most commanding face in place and it would have been imposing if I hadn't been so determined. The mood had shifted so quickly that it was like I'd passed through a dream.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. I pulled back from him and continued to gather clothes and armor.

"I must find the rest of the Fellowship. We were tracking Orc and Uruk-Hai across open plains to retrieve two Halflings. If it's been three weeks, either they are dead or they have survived. I will not stand by and do nothing."

"You nearly died in my arms not too long ago! I could do nothing when you volunteered for this Fellowship. You will not leave for this again. I forbid it!" he responded angrily. I was dressed completely and I leveled a glare of my own. My Hybrid nature came to the fore and I did not back down. He did not see this side of me often.

"I will not turn away!" I cried. "I cannot! We will never be at peace if our mission fails. Our lands will be overrun by Orcs and Goblins! I fear that the enemy is moving to strike at all of Middle Earth and I will not stand by. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli are out there, fighting! I made a vow to assist in this mission. I will not abandon it, I will see it through."

My features softened and I buried my face into his naked chest. I pressed my lips to his lean abs and then moved back. The hurt on his face broke my heart.

"Where will you go? What will you do?" he asked quietly. Thranduil's shoulders were tense and squared up. I licked my lips and took a breath.

"I will fly to Rohan. It is the direction the Uruk-Hai were taking the Halflings. If I am lucky, they will have caught up with the foul creatures and freed our friends. The Uruk-Hai were on their way to Saruman. I must see this through," I finished softly. He did not move when I stepped back towards him. He did not lean down to capture my lips. I floated up to close that space between us and kissed him gently. Then I left, not bothering to grab another sword or more daggers. I left with only my own hands and my determination as my weapons.

Striding through the kingdom, I left through the gates and as soon as I was clear of the guards, who looked very confused to see me up and about so quickly, I looked up to the sky and rose up to the heavens above. My eyes scanned the horizon before settling on the point that I needed to go. The air was cold and normally, at the altitude I was at, I would be freezing. But that had changed now. The chill barely affected me. I flew above the great city of Edoras and frowned when I saw that it was empty. Every settlement I flew over was empty. _Helm's Deep. That's the only place left for the people of Rohan to go if they feel war is coming._ Night was falling by the time I was close enough to see the deepening wall. I didn't want to scare the people there, so I landed far out of their sight and ran the rest of the way there at top speed. A few arrows came flying my way before I heard the excited voice of Legolas telling them to cease fire. The doors were opened for me and I could see three faces I had hoped would be there.

They embraced me gladly and didn't ask what had happened, though I knew it would be coming. The suspicious looks I received from Legolas and Aragorn told me that they could see a distinct difference in my appearance. They still trusted me enough to give me back my swords, which they had collected three weeks ago. It warmed my heart to see both of them intact and ready to serve. I'd brought the scabbards for them, hoping I'd find them once this was over. I expressed my gratitude and turned towards other tasks. There were more important things to be worried about. There was an army of Uruk-Hai and Orc coming and they all bore the White Hand of Saruman. They were getting ready for war. Théoden, the King of Rohan, looked down upon me when he saw me and demanded that I join the women and children he'd already ushered to the tunnels.

"I will be fighting in this battle, good King Théoden," I told him patiently.

"I will not have a woman fighting in this war. You will go to the caves and that is the end of it," he dismissed me and began to walk away. I growled angrily and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. The look of shock on his and his Men's faces was almost comedic.

"Listen to me, Théoden," I ground out. "I will be on the deepening wall when the enemy comes. I have more experience in battle than you could even imagine. You can demand I cower in the caves all you like. It will not happen."

"How _dare_ you?" the older blond king demanded, his blue eyes filled with rage. I was about to respond when a cry came up from the gates. We were all only a few steps from looking over the side of the wall. Legolas and Gimli had been watching my exchange with the King of Rohan with somewhat amused expressions. I looked over the wall and my eyebrows shot up. Below was an army of Elves and I spied Haldir at the front. Aragorn was down below already and welcomed them. Legolas and Gimli went down below and I ignored the King of Rohan to go and greet the Elves who had come to our aid.

"Queen Daenerys of the Woodland Realm," Haldir bowed slightly to me and I did not need to turn to see the surprise on Théoden. I bowed slightly in return and smiled.

"Haldir of Lórien," I responded. Aragorn had already greeted the stoic Elf and I clapped a hand on his arm with a grin. "It is good to see you."

"It is good to see you as well. The Lady Galadriel sends a message. Once Elves and Men were allies. We would see that Alliance honored once again," he smiled slightly. Perhaps there was a chance of beating the odds after all. 10,000 Uruk-Hai and Orcs didn't seem all that bad with such excellent Elvish warriors at our side.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Doctor Who_ or _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

 **P.S.: I was alerted to a discrepancy in my time line from the last chapter and in this chapter. Simply put, the time between the chase after the Hobbits and the battle of Helm's Deep doesn't take 3 weeks. For the sake of this story, we're going to say that things progressed that slowly. And I'm putting in additional stuff in this chapter, too. Just because I can.**

Chapter 27

I stood next to Haldir in the rain. He'd asked if I would stand with him as we waited for the enemy and I had said agreed, of course. He'd been looking at me oddly since he arrived. I assumed it was my faintly glowing skin until he showed me to a mirror. I'd not looked in one for so long that my own appearance was a true shock when I saw it. My black hair was finer than it had ever been, falling exactly as I would wish it to. When I'd placed it into the thick braid not long before, I'd noticed it was softer than usual. I saw my face but it was perfected. My eyes were brighter. The most startling change was the shape of my ears. They were decidedly more pointed. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was looking more… Elvish.

 _"Haldir, what is happening to me?"_ I whispered in Elvish, unsure of how this could have happened.

 _"You say that Illúvatar blessed you and your union with Thranduil?"_ he asked and I nodded. He looked at me evenly in the mirror. _"I may be inclined to believe that his blessing means that you are given the grace of the Eldar."_

"That isn't possible," I shook my head, staring at my reflection with uncertainty. "Is it? I'm becoming more like the Elves?"

"I have never seen it happen before, my lady," he replied. I tore my eyes away from my reflection and quietly went back to the wall. That was where he found me before the rain began. We stood in a companionable silence while we waited for the enemy to arrive. We'd seen them off in the distance and now, as it rained, they were upon the doorstep of Helm's Deep. I had found a bow and arrows and I stood at Haldir's side with an arrow in hand, ready to let it fly. I saw Legolas and Gimli were much further down the wall. A small smile lifted my lips as I realized that Legolas had picked their spot precisely because the Dwarf would not be able to see what was happening. I could only imagine the curses the stout warrior was leveling at not being able to see what was happening.

As the monsters before us began to make noise in an attempt at scaring the people of Rohan, I scanned the faces of the Men behind us. Most of them were fair haired and skinned with a few who had brown hair. Some of them did not wear helmets because there simply weren't enough to go around. I was about to turn back to monstrous horde before the wall when I froze. One face was staring up at me and it made my blood run cold. He wore a leather coat that went down to his knees, woven leather and metal armor on his chest and his blue eyes were fixated on me. His brown hair was long and went nearly to the middle of his back and his beard was trimmed just so. There was another man beside him that looked remarkably similar to the first, though he looked as if he preferred to be clean-shaven. He had the same color blue eyes and his nose was not as narrow as the other man's. His lips were slightly fuller, too.

"It can't be…" I whispered and Haldir barely glanced my way.

"What is it, Daenerys?" I shook my head and tore my eyes away. It was impossible and I needed to be able to think of the battle ahead. I turned back to the Uruk-Hai and hardened my resolve.

"Something impossible that will have to wait," I responded just as the growling mass before us stopped. One of the Uruk-Hai at the front of the horde had been shot by an arrow, likely by accident. The Men were nervous and it was understandable. Most had not seen battle before, not on this scale. The roars of rage that went up before us were enough to gather my full attention on the monsters ahead. I listened as Aragorn commanded the Elvish legions, following his lead.

 _"Prepare to fire!"_ he cried and in unison, all the Elves and I took an arrow from our quivers, pulling back the string. _"Fire the arrows!"_

My aim was true; the shaft was quivering from the throat of one of the brutes. I loaded another arrow on command and loosed it. It wasn't long before the Uruks were posting ladders to scale the wall. I pulled my sword and nodded to Haldir. It was a silent agreement to watch each other's backs. Soon, we were drowning in the foul creatures. I swung my two swords and had three daggers that were spinning in the air, finding the throats of enemies and plunging into them before I pulled them out with a thought and had them finding another victim. It seemed like the fighting went on for an eternity. I fell into a familiar dance of dealing death with Haldir and at least one other Elf I did not know becoming a trio. The three of us worked well together. I learned the other Elf's name was Lagoron, a name well deserved with how swift he was on his feet and with his sword. When I heard Aragorn crying for Legolas to bring something down, I felt a knot of dread fill my chest.

The explosion was close enough to throw me from my feet and into a stone wall. My breath was knocked from me and I took only a second to bounce back to my feet, just in time to meet the sword of an Uruk that had been close by. It backhanded me and I tasted blood. I turned with a growl and fought for all I was worth. This was a stronger Uruk than I'd faced yet. I finally killed it when it had a misstep and I spun around to lop its head off. I faintly heard Théoden calling for a retreat back to the keep and Aragorn relaying that same message. I saw Haldir nod in understanding. He cried to his people, beckoning them to fall back and as he fought a passing Uruk-Hai, another sliced his arm. He killed it and was looking down at the wound, inspecting how bad it was when I saw an Uruk that he didn't notice coming up behind him. I cut the head off the thing in front of me and I reached out with my hand and mind and shoved him aside before the foul creature could kill him from behind. With wide eyes, he looked to me and nodded gratefully before dispatching the slimy beast.

I fought my way back to my comrade and we went back-to-back on our way to the Keep. We were ushering the Men and Elves that were injured into the caves when I spotted the two Men I'd seen earlier were already inside. They kept their eyes on me while they saw to their tasks. Unnerved, I continued to usher people inside until the Uruks were breathing down our necks as we closed the doors behind us. I pulled Haldir to the side and he resisted at first when I demanded to see how badly he was wounded.

"You may not get sick but if that wound is as deep as it looks, you could bleed to death," I growled in irritation when he pulled his arm back again.

"I will tend to my own wounds, thank you," Haldir declined as politely as he could. I narrowed my eyes and grabbed his arm. He cried out in pain and I pulled back the bit of material he'd been holding over it. Blood surged forward and I clenched my jaw at the scent. Now that I'd had Elvish blood, the smell was even more enticing than it had been before.

"This is much worse than I thought," I said grimly as I placed a clean bandage over the wound. I grabbed needle and thread from a nearby basket the healers were using and some thread. Haldir winced as I stitched the flesh together in a very conscious effort to make sure that the edges were well aligned. He raised a brow at this and I smirked. "What? It wouldn't do for your first scar to be uglier than you are," I laughed. "You must have something to brag about later."

"Ugly?" Haldir seethed with a glare as I finished. "I find that quite offensive, _my lady._ "

"If you think that was offensive," I smiled as I placed a final bandage over the newly bound wound. "You should have heard the first song I ever sang for Thranduil! It was meant to offend him because he was acting so… well, snobby! It implied very unsavory things about kings."

The stoic march warden smiled at the distraction I provided. Once I was done, he tested his arm and the binding before nodding. "This is very good. Thank you."

I stiffened as I sensed the two I'd seen before coming up behind me. I didn't think twice as I pulled my swords and turned, the blades resting against each of their throats. Although there was quite a commotion going on with the doors being barred and everything that wasn't bolted down being used to brace against the enemy outside, there was still a fair amount of staring and surprise that I would raise a weapon against one of those that I was there to protect. Haldir had his blade in hand and was ready to strike, as was Aragorn who came up from behind.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried Théoden as he stared at me, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Who are you?" I demanded, ignoring all others. I received an even stare from such familiar blue eyes. I knew who he looked like but that was impossible.

"Daenerys," he said softly in that voice I knew so well. I could feel the pain in my chest when he spoke and my eyes filled with tears but I did not let my blades falter.

"No, tell me your name! Who are you?" I demanded again. It couldn't be. It was impossible.

"Lucian and Liam," he replied simply.

"What is going on here, Daenerys?" Aragorn asked in confusion, his blade still pointing at the heart of my former husband. "Who are they?"

"You're lying. They are worlds away," I shook my head even as my hands trembled slightly and I drew the swords from their throats. My voice had begun to shake slightly as I spoke. "Liam and Lucian and Maelys and Caeryn are worlds away and I will never see them again. I have accepted this. So what sorcery do you wield that makes you look like them?"

"When I first arrived in Sunnydale, I went to the forest. I scaled the tallest tree and looked around for hours, trying to figure out where I was. Then you found me, you told me that for you it had been only a few months. For me it had been five years," Lucian told me calmly. "How many years have you been here Daenerys? A hundred?"

"648," I said automatically. I saw genuine surprise in his eyes when I said that. He'd expected far less time.

"You were gone for two months before some creature came for us," he said as he stepped forward slowly. "He was a Lycan but unlike any I'd ever seen before. He said he was going to kill us and the children."

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach with all the wind that was knocked from me in that statement. He took another step forward.

"I fought him. The house was destroyed. I fought him off until a great portal opened up behind him. He fell through but it was powerful and it pulled me and the children through too. The children were all right," Lucian assured me when he saw the horror on my face. "The Lycan was nowhere to be found. I was discovered by a rider and his men. He helped me to bring the children to a small village and I learned where we were. I thought that maybe I had been brought back to you but no one had heard of you."

"No. This can't be true," I shook my head again. They'd been here for fifty years if it was true and I couldn't abide that I could have seen my children during all this time. And Lucian? What would he do when he discovered that I'd moved on? For him it had been only fifty years. He'd held on to his love for Sonja for much longer than that.

"Daenerys who are these Men?" Legolas asked with suspicion. _Of course he wouldn't know their names,_ I thought. _I only ever talked about them with Thranduil._

"How have you lived among these people this whole time?" I asked, ignoring the prince. "I know your diet is not quite as varied as mine."

"I hunt for animals in the forests. The children may survive on whatever they wish," Lucian replied. My eyes darted to Liam. He nodded and his face was stoic but I could see emotion swimming in his eyes. If this was truly my son, my heart would break that I'd not gotten to see him grow.

"What the devil is going on here?" cried Théoden. I turned to him, finally able to rip my eyes from the two in front of me. Things were so complicated now, I didn't even know what to say.

"Something that will have to wait until the battle is over," I replied with a pained expression.

"Théoden, is there another way out of the caves for the women and children?" Aragorn asked, his eyes still trained on Lucian and Liam. Legolas had returned to helping barricade the door, though his eyes were fixed upon me. I could see the questions that would be asked and I had no answers. Not yet.

"There is a passage way into the mountains but the enemy is too great in number," he replied grimly. He surveyed the glittering caves around them and I couldn't help but to look back at Lucian and Liam. Liam looked so much like his father, with only little bits of me here and there. His hair was slightly curled like mine but was wild and windblown like his father's in his younger years. He must have stopped aging around his twenty-fifth year. He was handsome. Lucian's stare was burning and I realized that he was still in love with me from the look in his eye but he did not step forward. I surmised it was because my appearance was slightly changed and there was a change in my behavior, too. The fact that I did not run to embrace him was a quiet question on his face.

"Then send the women and children into the caves," Aragorn replied with a vigor. "Lead your men in one last charge! Let the enemy know that we will not cower in these caves in fear!"

"What hope is there? There will be no valor or glory!" the king returned. "We will be overwhelmed."

"We ride out not for valor or glory! We will ride out and meet our enemy for Rohan!" Aragorn's vigorous declaration seemed to ignite something in Théoden.

"Yes! Let the enemy hear the Horn of the Deep one last time!" he puffed up a bit as he said this and the Men gave cries that they agreed. Gimli was the one tasked with running up to the horn. We prepared to charge out, mounting horses and readying our swords and daggers. I ignored the looks I was receiving from all around me. I had to if I was going to be able to fight with a straight head. My resolve weakened when two beautiful young women, identical in every way save for the clothes they wore, came to stand beside Lucian and Liam. Just seeing them made my lips tremble and my hands shake. They both had piercing blue eyes and long black hair that reached just past their waists. They wore the same kind of traveling dresses I'd seen other women of Rohan wearing when I'd visited the caves before the battle. They stared at me as well and my heart began to pound. _Caeryn and Maelys,_ I thought.

They intended to join the fight, I realized. I looked to Lucian and he nodded slightly. He must have trained them all. It took all of my resolve to turn away and focus on the door that they were preparing to open. I found Legolas and mounted Arod behind him. He turned to give me a questioning look which I stoically ignored. I was not going to miss out on the chance to vent my frustrations, my shock, my heartbreak on the enemy. When the doors were opened and we were out in the open air, I jumped to my feet on the racing horse's back and then flew up into the air. I dove into the middle of the Uruk-Hai horde to the horror of my comrades and began to fight for all I was worth. I flew up into the air with nearly a dozen of the foul beasts shrieking and struggling around me and then crushed them into as many as I could. The sun had begun to rise over the side of the mountain and when I flew up again, I saw a sight I had not hoped to see again. It was Gandalf, bathed in pure white light. I'd been told that he was alive and had accepted it but to see for myself was entirely different.

Beside the Wizard rode a Man. He commanded another 2,000 that then rallied to the King and rode downwards toward the enemy. A feral smile broke out on my face and I dove into the fray with an eagerness I'd not known I harbored. The battle raged and soon, the Uruks realized that they were not going to win. They turned and began to flee. I was astonished to see a forest had appeared where there had been open lands before. One of the Men that had arrived cried out to us all, "Don't follow them into the forest!"

I stood and stared as the enemy fled and then felt satisfaction when I heard them cry out in pain and terror. The trees swayed and stamped. I could smell blood in the air. There was a great cry of joy. Men were clapping each other on the backs and those that had been separated from brothers or cousins hugged. I turned and Lucian was there. He was too close and I was uncomfortable.

"Dae," he whispered and reached out to me. His fingers grazed my cheek. I stepped away and sheathed my swords, my face twisted in pain.

"Don't," I murmured.

"Why do you recoil from me?" he asked as he followed me to the Deep once more. "Dae?"

"I can't, Lucian," I could hear the pain in my own voice. I still loved him, though it was nowhere near as powerful as what I felt for Thranduil. This had turned into the kind of love you have for someone who was important to you for a long time but had left that place long ago. My heart ached to know that he was here but I loved and needed Thranduil. I could see him around me, could feel him inside my heart even now.

"Why?" he grabbed my arm and I spun to face him. Legolas and Haldir saw me and began to step forward when I raised my hand to stop them. They waited with narrowed eyes. From this distance, I knew they could hear every word I would utter.

"I've moved on, Lucian."

"You've moved on? Why?" His eyes were insistent. He needed to know. I pulled my arm from his hand and sighed.

"I thought that you all were lost to me. I spent nearly five hundred years broken hearted. I was here so long, I found my other half. I've _bonded_ to him like you did to Sonja. It would kill me if I were parted from him and you know it," I replied. I swallowed thickly, knowing that he could demand that I return to him. Knowing that he could demand to fight with Thranduil for me. "Losing Sonja destroyed the man you were. Don't destroy the woman I am now."

I watched Lucian with bated breath. I could see the anger in him, the hatred he felt for my bonded mate. There was true turmoil boiling inside of him. His eyes searched the vicinity, landing on the two Elves that were watching so closely. They snapped back to me.

"Is he here?" The question was so simple and yet it filled me with fear.

"No, he is not here. He is in his realm, likely preparing for war."

"Is he an Elf?" I swallowed and nodded. I didn't like where this was going. "I will meet him, then."

Dread filled me at those words. "You will meet him? In combat or in peace?" I asked, unsure of how I should feel.

"I will make that choice when I meet him," he replied as he walked away. "Come, you must meet the children. They have heard nothing but the stories of you I have told them."

As I passed Haldir and Legolas, I saw the questions in their eyes and I knew I would have to stop and explain. I nodded to Lucian as he turned to see what I was doing. He glared at the two Elves and then passed.

"What is going on, Daenerys?" Legolas asked with narrowed eyes. I took a deep breath and shook my head.

"A day I thought would never have come. You know the story of my life before I came to this world?" Legolas nodded and Haldir shook his head. "I was with another, I was pregnant. Just after I had him cut the children from my womb, I was brought here. I bore twin girls and a boy. Those two men and two girls? They are the family I thought I would never see again. And I'm not sure but… I think Lucian means to try and claim me as his again."

"Claim you as _his?_ " Haldir blanched. "You belong to yourself!"

"Not always so in Lycan laws," I responded grimly. "Lycan women rarely leave their mates and if they do, their former mate has the right to challenge the new one or relinquish to the woman's wishes. I don't know what his intentions are but if his wishes is to bring harm to Thranduil, _I_ will cut him down."

I continued forward before they could ask more questions. They followed me quietly. When I came face-to-face with the young man and women that were, somehow, my children I nearly lost my composure. Without being asked, all three of them presented their right wrists and lowered their eyes. This was behavior that could be expected. Lycans could tell a lot about someone's scent and the same was of Hybrids. I took Liam's wrist and pulled back cloth of his shirt to expose the flesh. I inhaled deeply. My eyes snapped open and I knew they had turned blue-on-black. "I know that scent," I whispered and pulled my son to me. "My son! My Liam!"

I kissed his forehead and smiled. I took the wrist of each of the girls and inhaled the scents of my daughters. I could smell a bit of myself and Lucian in each of them and that was my confirmation that this was not a trick. I pulled them all in to myself and felt my throat close up with emotion. I wanted to cry but would not. Both of my daughters pulled back at the same time. "My daughters… My children," my voice shook and I held all three of my children tightly to me. I felt my legs give out with the weight of the knowledge that I had my children back in my arms and they came down to the ground with me. My daughters were crying and my son only let one small tear escape his eye.

* * *

The days following the victory at Helm's Deep were filled with joyous reveling and drinking to the honorable dead. I spent that time getting to know my children and discovered that Liam was serious like his father, but playful and very much a trickster like his sisters. They regaled me with stories of their childhoods, how they had played all sorts of pranks and tricks on villages they'd lived in. They were real terrors and I wished I'd had the chance to be there for everything. Caeryn and Maelys were gentle souls, very much like I had been before I'd begun my 'travels.' They had learned from a young age that revealing their true nature was dangerous when a boy a little bit older than them in one village had dumped horse manure in their hair and when their faces had gone pale and their eyes black-on-blue, the boy had run in terror. Lucian had just barely gotten the children out of there before the villagers could seriously hurt them. Liam had wanted to stay and fight but Lucian, thinking of what I'd want to do, had chosen to leave.

I learned that over the years, he'd been trying to do better with his own behavior by reacting as I would. He'd never really cared for humans or been interested in their lives. During our war with the Vampires, he'd been prone to sacrificing human lives versus the lives of our people. I'd always been very insistent that he take them into consideration, being that I was once human. When we'd done recruiting in the time of the American Civil War, he'd let me take the lead on that one. Instead of killing and turning whoever we could get our hands on, he let me be the judge. It only made things harder, that he'd tried so hard for me. One thing that shocked me was when I learned that he'd discovered how to return to his former Lycan form. It had taken some time for him to figure it out but he could change into the form he'd had before the Hybrid form. He had tried to show the children how to do it but because they were more like me, they couldn't do it. Neither could I, for which I was grateful. I enjoyed the strength and speed my current form gave me.

"You were as beautiful in your Lycan form as you were in your human form," Lucian told me softly one night as we stared up at the stars. I had come out and sat on the steps while celebrations were going on. He'd followed and sat close to me. I looked at him and gave a small smile.

"I thought the same of you," I replied in a voice just as quiet. "I loved you for so long and you never even looked my way. Then, just as I got what I'd always dreamed of, it was all snatched away. Twice."

"I haven't stopped loving you, Daenerys," Lucian turned to me, eyes determined. "I would stay with you forever, if you would have me."

"I can't. I won't," I replied. I cupped his cheek and smiled slightly. "I still love you, Lucian. I do. But I don't love you the same as before. You know the bond that is laid between soulmates. Yours was Sonja. Mine was here and I can't imagine who I would become if I were parted from him."

"And what of our children?" he challenged as he pulled my hand from his face.

"They are grown and I look forward to getting to know them. I want to spend my life being a part of theirs," I replied as I stood up. "But make no mistake, Lucian. They are grown. You have done an amazing job of raising them. It breaks my heart that I wasn't there. If I'd known you were all here…"

"What? What would you have done?"

"I would have been there or asked you to come and live with us. I would have raised our children together."

"And your… lover? How do you think that would have worked?" his face was barely concealing the anger he felt and his voice was getting lower.

"My _husband_. I don't know. I wish I could have found out. Perhaps this wouldn't have been so hard if you'd fallen into Mirkwood instead of Rohan. Or it would have. I don't know!"

"Your _husband?_ " his voice rose slightly as he stood behind me. "You are married to him?"

I turned and glared. "Yes. I married him. The very fact that I slept with him constitutes marriage among the Elves and I knew that going into it. I love him."

"The marks we exchange are a bond, too," he reminded me.

"And the scent left behind fades after so long. That alone gives me the right to take a new mate by the very laws _you_ created. I was alone for so long, Lucian. So much longer than I have ever been alone before."

"You should have waited for me!" his voice was even angrier now as I began to walk away. I spun around to face him.

"I _did_ wait! I waited so long I thought I would be alone and grow cold hearted, like you were becoming. I cried myself to sleep nearly every night for 400 years! I had no tears left in me after that. I _did_ wait," I told him angrily. "I know you haven't had as much time to let go of me as I have of you but you understand how I feel, Lucian. And I don't care if you want to fight Thranduil for me because _I_ will be the one you meet in battle. At least if you fight me, you have a _chance_ , however small, of surviving."

"So you think I am weak in comparison to him?" Lucian challenged. I shook my head.

"That is not what I said. He is a far better warrior than either of us. I have sparred with him many times over the years and in a fair fight, without the use of my mind, he wins every time. Even with my strength. He is cunning and capable of outwitting anything or anyone put before him," I growled. "I have never thought you weak and I never will."

"Then why do you choose him?" came the question I couldn't believe he would ask.

"Why did you choose Sonja? It wasn't as if you had a choice in the matter, is it? I love Thranduil. How can you deny me? How can you tell me that I'm not allowed to be with him when Sonja was stolen from you?" I jabbed my finger into his chest with each question and he backed away each time. I was filled with righteous rage and he was finally unable to say anything back. He looked like I'd slapped him in the face. He stayed silent as I huffed and walked away. My point was made. He'd never seen me so angry with him and I knew that he had screwed up. It was plain on his face.

I wandered far enough away that I couldn't hear the revelry taking place anymore. I couldn't hear the Men and the few Elves that remained in Rohan. The rest had returned home. The moon was bright in the sky and the stars shined even brighter. I laid down on a grassy hill, and stared up at the beautiful celestial bodies. Tears began to run from my eyes. I'd not had the strength in me to cry for so long and now, the tears came without my permission. My thoughts continually ran in the direction of my children and how I could have seen them, raised them all this time. It flew around in my head over and over that I could have been there for everything. I berated myself for the fact that I didn't know they'd been here. _I should have known. I'm their mother. I should have been able to sense it, somehow. What is wrong with me?_

"Are you all right, Daenerys?" I looked to see that Legolas was coming up to sit next to me. I wondered if he'd followed me or had been just walking around.

"I will be fine, Legolas. A lot of old wounds were opened recently and I've just inflicted one of my own."

"I have met your children. They are strong and kind."

"Yes, they are. My daughters… They are sweet and gentle but fierce and strong when they must be. And my son! He's a lot like his father used to be, from what I was told by those who knew him before I did. Lucian was a sweet and tender man before Sonja died. He was honorable," I told him as I stared up to the sky. I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest. "There's so much I missed! It breaks my heart that I wasn't there for them. It's so cruel that I didn't know they were here. I've told them that when this is all over, they should come back to Mirkwood with me."

"And Lucian?"

"I'll bet that he will come to Mirkwood whether I want him to or not."

"Does he intend to try to kill my father?" I looked over and shrugged.

"I don't know yet," I responded. "But he knows I will be the one to fight him if he tries."

"Do you love him? Lucian?" The question took me off guard and I looked to Legolas in surprise.

"I love him in a way. He will always be in my heart in some form. But that love doesn't hold even the tiniest candle to the love I have for your father, my friend. I would die a ten thousand times if it meant that Thranduil would be safe from harm. I would bear any pain, any wound that were meant for him."

The Elf prince was silent for a long while as he sat with me. He and I had slowly become friends after his return to Mirkwood. He'd grudgingly accepted that I had been a good influence on his father. Thranduil's attitude was always superior and decidedly on the sarcastic side when certain topics were brought up, but he was not quite as ill-tempered as he used to be. I always saw the love in the Elf King's eyes when I entered the room and that seemed to translate into being a better father to his son since his return. He spent more time with Legolas and had begun to open up about his mother. I normally stayed away during those moments because I didn't want to foster any negative feelings in the Elf that was technically my step-son. I sighed as I looked back up to the stars. Why did life have to be so complicated?

* * *

 _It had been months since that night. Taking a deep breath as the forest of Mirkwood, renamed Eryn Lasgalen, came into view ahead. I'd missed these woods, missed the Elves I'd come to call family and friend in my time gone. I looked forward to the return to the caverns that were carved to look like trees underground, to the forest that was both dark and beautiful. I looked forward to embracing the life I had ahead of me and hoping that my destiny would never try to come back for me. So much had happened and I longed to put it behind me. I let my thoughts drift as our party rode closer to those trees I missed, remembering all that had come before this moment…_

As we rode with the Rohirrim to Gondor, I felt different. It had been a few days since the defeat of Saurman's army. We'd ridden to Isengard and discovered Saruman defeated by the Ents and two Hobbits that were very glad to us all again. They'd raided the pantry and had been smoking the finest tobacco in the Shire while they waited for our arrival. The discovery of the Palantír had piqued Pippin's interest. He wanted to look at the pretty, glistening ball. I could tell it was evil just by looking at it. There had been more feasting and revelry in Rohan after the discovery that Isengard was captured and Saruman and Wormtongue, a slimy and greasy looking thing, had been defeated. I enjoyed watching as the two Halflings gathered quite a crowd when they sang about the Green Dragon and other drinking songs. I even had the pleasure of watching Legolas and Gimli compete in a drinking game. The Elf clearly could hold his liquor. He drank the Dwarf under the table and though I had been offered drink many times that night, I only had a single cup. I had been spending a lot of time with Liam, Caeryn and Maelys. The girls called each other 'Ryn' and 'Mae' when they talked about each other and I learned that if I wanted to call for both girls at once, I should just call 'Maeryn!' and they would both come running. It was adorable.

Liam was pleased to show off his skill with a bow and sword when we took the time to spar. He was excellent at both and had fought with a fluid grace that only came with years of practice. That particular night, after the revelry had died down and people had gone to sleep, when I'd bid my children a good night and joined Aragorn and Legolas outside, Pippin had given in to his curiosity. He took the Palantír from Gandalf and gazed into it. Sauron had gazed back but had not been able to pry information of worth from the foolish Hobbit. Instead, Aragorn had revealed himself to the enemy and the fact that Isildur's Heir lived. Gandalf took Pippin with him and rode to Gondor, hoping that Sauron would believe that he had the Ring and that would keep his eye from finding Frodo and Sam. We waited for a long while and during that time, I got to know that my daughters were excellent fighters. And I found that they took after me in more ways than one: they were excellent singers. I taught them many songs and when I told them about the Fairy Story song I'd sung to Thranduil, they demanded to learn it. It wasn't long before I started teaching them every Limey Bird song I knew and they enjoyed singing them to people just for the shock value it brought to others.

When the beacons were lit that Gondor needed aid, I saddled up to ride with the remains of the Fellowship and the Rohirrim. Lucian, Liam, Caeryn and Maelys geared up for war as well, though Théoden thought he could command my daughters to only follow as shieldmaidens. This was not the case, though he did not know it. Haldir had long since rejoined the rest of his kin and had wished me well before he left. He had told me of his dislike and mistrust of Lucian. I did not disagree. We were just stopping at a point that Théoden was going to use as a staging area to gather the forces of Rohan. There was a passage through the mountains nearby. We were going to stay here for the next several days while Men from all over the kingdom arrived to take part in the coming battle. I was grateful for the rest. My body ached from the riding and I'd begun to feel a little motion sickness from being on the horse. I didn't ride often; I preferred to walk or fly.

It was while we stayed for those few days that I realized I wasn't ill from motion sickness. I was nauseated in the morning and the smells of certain foods and meats made me sick. When I'd been sick secretly for a third morning in a row, I knew what was happening to me and it brought a mixture of joy and fear to my heart. I was astounded that I was feeling symptoms so quickly. It was too soon, I knew that. I was needed in battle and there was no question in that. But how to hide my condition? I had no idea how fast an Elvish pregnancy progressed. I imagined that it was probably longer than a human pregnancy but what if I was having multiples again? Twins and triplets run in my family. My last pregnancy was proof of that. I was careful not to let my fears or concerns cloud my thoughts while I was around others. I didn't want questions I couldn't answer. But some things couldn't be avoided. Like Lucian picking up on a change in my scent. When he caught a whiff and his head had snapped up so suddenly when I passed by, I knew what it was he was coming to speak to me about.

"It's his?" was the only question he asked. I glared in response.

"Yes. It's his," I growled back. He growled in response and stalked out of my tent. I sat and felt my heart pounding hard in my chest. I would have to be more careful, now more than ever, to make sure that I wasn't injured in battle. I would need to work hard to ensure that no one noticed my morning sickness. There was so much work I was going to have to do and it made me dizzy to think of it. It was especially difficult for me now that the prankster sons of Elrond had joined with us, along with the Dúnedain. I was recognized by some of the older members of the company as fitting the descriptions of Duvaineth. The twins were happy to see that I was alive and well and though they were serious about going to war with us, they were still quite eager to resume the pranks we'd pulled upon each other in Rivendell. I was already growing tired from my pregnancy and wasn't in any mood to participate.

When I introduced them to my daughters and son, I could not have been more surprised to see the interest that was sparked in Elrohir when he met Caeryn. I'd never seen either of Elrond's sons take an interest in a member of the opposite sex before. My daughter was just as taken with him, though she hid it well. I learned really quickly that when she was embarrassed or excited about something, she tended to play with the ends of her hair. It was a subtle movement but one that I had caught on to during some of our first conversations. Maelys had a similar habit that was more about twisting her hair around her fingers. I'd not seen that habit around anyone but Legolas and myself. I had a sneaking suspicion that my daughters took after their mother in something else, too. I was glad for the distraction that they unwittingly provided.

When Aragorn heeded the words of the twin brothers' message from Elrond, deciding to take the Path of the Dead, I and the family I thought I'd lost followed. I decided to walk instead of taking a horse. I had much to think about. I ended up at the rear of the company with Elladan. He was staring after his brother, who was busy speaking with Caeryn. There was much in his eyes that spoke of his happiness for his twin. If Elrohir and Caeryn fell in love, it could mean that he would choose to live as an Elf, which I felt Elladan would choose as well. I didn't think he could part with his brother as Elrond had parted with his. The only question was if she would be allowed to pass into the West when the time came? If I'd been given the blessing of Illúvatar, I would likely be allowed to enter the Undying Lands with Thranduil when the time comes. Perhaps I could argue on her behalf?

All of these things made my head ache and I didn't want to think of it anymore, not when I could see the mists of the Dead rising up behind us and following as we continued down the road. I answered questions put to me with short nods and grunts wherever I could. The path was dark and even I could feel the fear that the Dead brought with their very presence. When Aragorn asked them to follow him and that he would give them peace if they fulfilled their oaths, I was relieved to see that they were going to listen. I expressed this to Elladan as we left the mountain pass and came to the shores where black sails were seen coming down the river. We waited for the cover of night before we pounced on the vile Men on those ships. I was more careful in battle than I'd been in a long time. We sailed down the river to surprise our enemy in their own ships.

Lucian was quiet during the short voyage and he kept staring at me whenever I came into view. His eyes followed wherever I went and though I was sure it bothered the Elves I'd come to call friends and family, they said nothing to the Hybrid. Several days of that staring had come to be annoying and was bringing unwanted attention to me.

"Why does he stare at you so?" Elladan asked me quietly. "What has his attention?"

"He knows a secret that I wish to remain hidden until I am ready to reveal it," I replied honestly. I smiled tiredly. There was barely a moment when I'd slept for more than an hour or two since we boarded these ships and it was taking its toll on me. We were close to joining the battle and at the moment, were standing below deck to hide from the eyes of the Orcs that were waiting for their reinforcements. They were going to be in for a big surprise when an army of the Dead popped out and killed them instead. It would be gratifying to see the filthy creatures be overrun.

"What secret is that?" he asked, looking somewhat amused. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Come now, Daenerys! I can keep a secret."

"A secret that will remain such until I am ready to divulge it."

"Is it a secret that will cause trouble?"

"Every secret causes trouble. It's just a matter of what kind of trouble it will be and how much it will be worth."

"Is this trouble going to be something that we need to worry about or no?"

"As of now? Nothing you need to worry about."

"And later?"

"Only something I need to worry about. I'll be fine, Elladan."

The son of Elrond looked at me quizzically for a moment. He was trying to figure out what I was hiding. He'd been just as surprised as Elrohir by the luminescence of my skin and the new points to my ears. He was looking at me with new eyes, trying to glean whatever it was that was being hidden. I rolled my eyes and went to the galley in search of something to eat. I'd been eating more vegetables and fruits the last few days because the meat was making my stomach turn. Two apples and a large plum later, I was returning to a more ready position when it was whispered that we were to get ready. From above, we heard Orcs jeering and demanding that the scurvy sea-dogs come off the ships.

In a flurry of activity and swinging blades, we came off the ships and charged forward. There were three Orcs downed with my blades before long. We moved through the battlefield and I was amazed at the grace my daughters and son showed during battle. They worked as a unit, Caeryn and Maelys on either side of Liam. Lucian was never far from them and neither was I. The girls were in sync with each other's every move and it wasn't long before I realized that there was a bond between my children and me. It was distracting to be in the middle of a fight and suddenly see things from their points of view. It was disconcerting. But it made for an incredible dynamic. We could defend each other so very easily because we were able to see through the other's eyes.

It wasn't long before we were standing in a field of corpses. We followed the carnage of the Dead deeper into the fields and fought the greater threats, such as the Oliphants. I spotted Legolas taking down one of the creatures on his own, having dumped the cadre of Men riding aloft when he cut the bonds of the belt that held them up and shot three arrows in the back of its head. He slid down the trunk of the creature and landed on his feet thirty yards from where we fought. I couldn't help but laugh as I heard Gimli shout, "That still only counts as one!"

When the last Orc was dead and the Men of Rohan and Gondor began to sift through the dead, we began to assist in bringing to wounded to the Houses of Healing. Aragorn released the Dead. I thought that perhaps he should have asked them to help him storm the Black Gates of Mordor but it was not to be. There was a Woman of Rohan, Éowyn, discovered among the wounded, not far from Théoden's fallen body. I'd met her briefly on the way to the Paths of the Dead and had not commented when I noticed that she had packed armor and chainmail to her own horse. If she wished to fight, it was not my place to tell her that I could and she could not. She had her right to choose. It was a pleasure to learn that she had killed the Witch King of Angmar, a wraith that no man could kill. It brought a smile to my face. _No man_ could kill him. A Woman could.

I did not attend the meeting that was called by Gandalf and Aragorn after the wounded had been seen to. Instead, I asked Lucian to attend for me. The rapid onset of morning sickness for this pregnancy had me reeling. It'd taken me several weeks to discover that I was pregnant with the triplets. It made me wonder how quickly Elves were able to figure out that they were with child. Lucian found me leaning against a wall on the third level, wiping the sick from my mouth. Learning that their intention was to draw out the armies of Mordor, to give Frodo and Sam the chance to cross uncontested, gave me hope. We were the distraction. We would have to fight but at least the Halflings would have a chance to destroy the Ring. Lucian gave me a hard look as I brushed past him and captured my arm.

"You should not go into battle with us," he stated. I pulled my arm away.

"I will see this through," I replied simply. He frowned and shook his head.

"No, you don't understand. If you are feeling this sick this quickly after conception…" his voice lowered at the last part, "It isn't normal, even among Lycans. Even your scent changing so quickly… What do you know of Elvish pregnancies and births? Nothing!"

"How would you know about how long ago conception took place?" I demanded angrily.

"I could smell it on you at Helm's Deep. It was faint but the scent was still there. I convinced myself that it was my imagination but I knew in my heart it was true." He cocked his head to the side. "Your beloved _Thranduil_ doesn't know, does he? He's not among the Elves that traveled with us here, and you've not addressed anyone here in a way that would make me believe that you were in love with them… You flew directly from your lover's bed to battle, didn't you?"

"What does it matter?" I snapped. "I have been with him for more than sixty years and until now, I thought that having children with him was impossible. I thought that when I gave you that knife and had you cut our children from my womb that the damage never healed completely. And then… this. So the answer is no, he doesn't know. And you're right about another thing: I don't know anything about Elvish pregnancies. For all I know, Elvish women know immediately if they are with child or they are as ignorant as humans are until their belly grows."

"And who knows how such a pregnancy as yours will progress? You should not be fighting anymore, Dae," Lucian's voice was soft. "I know you are not one for glory. I know you keep your word, if you are able. I've known you long enough for that. Why do you still want to fight when you could stay here?"

"Because my fate is tied to this world and now that I know our children are here, I will fight to protect them. I never got to see their first steps or hear their first words. I never got to read them stories in bed or kiss them goodnight. I can watch their backs and keep them from harm, though. Even if I am only there as a shield, at least I will be there," I replied just as softly. I turned away and he caught my arm again. Looking back, his face was gentle.

"I release you," Lucian's voice was quiet and but his words seemed louder to me than any he'd spoken before. I was taken off guard.

"What?" it came out as a whisper.

"I release you."

"Why?"

"Because _you_ were right. I could not do to you what was done to me. If Sonja and I had escaped and been able to live our lives quietly, I would have. I would have been a different man than the one I became. I wouldn't have gone so cold. I cannot deprive you of the happiness that was taken from me. So, I release you of the bond we had. When this is over, I want our children to follow you home, so that you may get to know them better. I've told them the stories of how brave and beautiful you were. Now they should see how kind and generous you are."

I was stunned by that declaration and was unable to move when he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. This was nothing like what I had expected. I had thought he'd try to battle Thranduil, that he would do anything to keep me. My words to him a few days ago must have struck a stronger cord than I'd hoped. Relief burned through me and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. While heading to where my armor was being tended to and my clothes being mended, I spotted Elrohir with Caeryn. They were whispering and I felt my heart warm to see her smile when he smiled. I knew Elrohir was smitten from the way he carried himself when he walked away. I would have to speak with each of them before this was through.

Upon donning my travel clothes and armor, I went down to get a horse to ride on and was surprised to see Legolas there waiting to stop me.

"You are not going."

"The hell I'm not," I replied.

"I've spoken to Lucian and you are not going. If anything were to happen –"

"And what did Lucian say?" I was angry now.

"He said that you are with child. If that is true, I cannot allow you to go with us."

"I've fought while with child before. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and what's more, I will have my children fighting alongside me. There is some kind of connection that comes alive when we are together and fighting, Legolas. I will be well taken care of."

"Daenerys, you should listen to Legolas," Elladan said as he came through the door. I turned and looked on in shock.

"And what do you know of it? At this point, I'm not even sure if I am with child! Unless you can tell me? Do Elvish pregnancies bring symptoms this quickly? Only a few days after conception, do they begin to get sick? Tell me! Because unless your answer is an emphatic yes, I will assume that I am overreacting to everything I've been feeling and I _will_ go into battle!" I cried. I was angry that Lucian had betrayed my trust, that they were going to try and prevent me from entering the battlefield with them.

"Elvish women _do_ know that they are pregnant very early on. Usually within a few days. A piece of their spirit, their fëa and the fëa of the father helps to create the new life," Elladan confirmed. He looked as though he hoped that news would do the trick. It did not. I changed my tactics. Although it was a joy to know that I wasn't going crazy, I still wanted to fight.

"Tell me, how do you intend on preventing me from joining the battle? You cannot bind me, nor can you place me in a prison that I won't be free of at my own will. How do you intend on forcing me to stay out of this fight?"

I yelped as I felt something small and sharp pierce my neck at a great speed. Pulling out the dart, I looked at it in surprise and then looked up to see Lucian standing in the doorway with a blow dart tube in his hands. My eyes felt heavy and I began to stumble. There was no small amount of betrayal in my eyes as I fell to my knees, Legolas and Elladan each grabbing hold of my arms to steady me. Whatever herbs he'd used to make this dart were powerful enough to make my mind sluggish and my body heavy.

"You will not risk yourself in this state," I heard Lucian say as darkness covered my eyes. "You are going to be fine. Just sleep, Dae. Rest."

* * *

Who knows how long I was in that haze? I would wake and there was always someone there. It was an alternate between Caeryn, Maelys, Liam and Lucian or one of the healers from the houses of healing. I would wake long enough that someone would help me to the chamber pot and then they would force me to drink a draught that was mixed in with honey and water or goat's blood. I could not count the times I woke and begged them to let me get up on my own. I begged for them to stop forcing me to sleep. Whatever they were using was powerful and kept me unconscious. They kept me that way until a great cry of joy was heard over the city.

Awakening was both difficult and easy at the same time. My mind was still in a haze but my body was lithe and energetic. I was out of bed before I even realized it. I was in the bed I'd been given in Minas Tirith, a room that was spacious and comfortable. There were windows that looked over the courtyard and I could see the mountains in the distance. Mount Doom was in a state of eruption. On the last day they gave me the draught, there was a cry of fear and then joy from the city below. If the Mountain of Doom was on fire, and the great tower from which the Eye watched had fallen, Sauron must have been defeated. Frodo had succeeded. I learned that I'd been kept drugged for nearly ten days at that point. I tried to be angry at my children for their part in helping to subdue me but I couldn't stay that way for long. They did it to protect me and their unborn sibling, or so they said. The fact that they knew of my condition only made me angrier at Lucian. He couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he?

For the days it took the Host to return, I assisted in the Houses of Healing wherever I could. If I was not needed there, which mostly I was not, I would wander over to the edge of the highest courtyard and sit on the ledge with my legs dangling over the side. I would let the sun warm my skin and the air whistle through my hair. I scared hell out of one guard when I let myself drop off the edge and fall for a moment before flying up into the air and letting myself float for a while. It helped me to think. When the Host finally returned from their mission at the Black Gates, with Frodo and Sam and news that the Ring was, indeed, destroyed, I learned that word had also been sent to Mirkwood of my condition. That had upset me quite a bit. I actually yelled at Legolas, for he was the one who had sent the messenger, for a good twenty minutes. It was _my_ job to tell Thranduil. It was _my_ news to give. I kept myself locked up after that, only emerging to. I was tired more and more as the days went on. When I looked in a mirror, there were dark bags under my eyes and I was growing thinner even as a tiny bump on my belly was becoming noticeable. They all refused to let me leave of my own accord, fearful that I would collapse in my current state if I tried to make it to Mirkwood by myself or even with my children as escorts.

I began having horrible nightmares that I couldn't remember in the morning. I missed Aragorn's coronation because I was exhausted. I refused to feed on any of the blood that was brought to me. I was afraid they had tainted it with another draught. One morning, when I was probably three months along, I found a familiar form sitting in the room. My heart stopped and I nearly fell to the floor at the sight. Thranduil had come for me. He stared at me, his silver circlet and white gem on his brow, in a set of robes that were a silvery white. His pose on the chair reminded me of a rock star waiting for his picture to be taken. He had fine black boots and grey trousers and a silvery white tunic with black designs embroidered into the material underneath the robes. His blond hair positively glowed in the morning light of this already white room. Itarille gleamed from his left hand. I could not read his expression from my position, save for the surprise at my more gaunt appearance.

"You would have gone into battle in your condition?" his voice was soft but hollow. His eyes glittered with the emotions that he was holding back. He was one to lose his temper but he never held back like this before. It was like he was afraid of breaking something. I remained silent. "Did you not think of me? Did you not think of the child you carry? Do you not… _care?"_

I let out a breath I had no idea I'd been holding. It was like a punch to the gut to hear him say that. I don't know how I got there but I was on my knees right in front of him, my fingers clasping one of his hands to my chest and my forehead in his lap. I shook my head as tears were absorbed into his clothes. "I care. _I care too much,"_ I whispered. "I thought I was going mad at first. I thought, after these long years together, that I could not have children at all anymore. I thought I had healed wrong. Then I started feeling different. I couldn't explain it until I started getting sick in the mornings. I thought it was impossible. But it kept happening. And I did not want to abandon my promise to see the quest through."

I looked up at him and he had not moved since I'd grabbed his hand. I crawled into his lap and placed the hand I'd been holding over my belly. His eyes moved there and I rested my forehead against his. "I didn't know that this was possible until it was. I'm _sorry_ , my love. _I'm sorry,"_ I whispered. "I'm sorry that I ever left after I awoke back home. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm just so sorry." Whatever dam had been inside of my head at that moment, whatever wall I'd built to push back the tears over the years broke. I began to sob brokenly and he gently guided my head to his shoulder. Thranduil rocked me gently to comfort me, as you would a small child.

"You look so ill, Daenerys!" he whispered into my ear as his fingers ran over my cheeks. "What is wrong?"

"I've been so tired… so tired… I have nightmares that I can't remember and I can't drink from the blood they bring me because they laced it with something to make me sleep before. I feared it would hurt the child," I whispered back. His hands stroked my hair comfortingly while he adjusted me in his lap. "Food hasn't been staying down much, either."

He didn't speak for a moment. Then, he pulled the sleeves of his robes back on his wrist before presenting it to me. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his chest. I didn't want to feed from him but he would not let me stay in this state and would not take 'no' for an answer on this. He waited patiently for me to take it and I did after a moment. I kissed the flesh gently before I sank my teeth in and his sweet, sweet blood filled my mouth. My eyes went up to his face and I saw something that made me curious. He didn't look like he was in pain at all. In fact, he looked like he enjoyed it. While that wrist was held fast to my lips, I rested my head against his chest again and his other hand stroked my hair. I stopped after a few moments, afraid that I was hurting him. I felt much better after feeding from him but I was still too thin. When his wrist healed right in front of my eyes, I was reassured that my dream about Illúvatar was real but didn't want to push my luck. I would have to ask about the pleasure he'd had on his face later, though. I'd never seen anyone _enjoy_ being bitten by me.

"When you are able to travel, we will return to Eryn Lasgalen. I have met with Celeborn and we have redefined the borders of our lands. I came here as soon as that was completed to collect you," he told me as I rested in his arms. He lifted me up and placed me on the bed. I still felt a little weak from the exhaustion. He pulled the covers up to my chin and I curled into a ball on my side. "Rest now. I will return to lay with you in a few hours. There are things I must tend to here."


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 28

 ** _Thranduil_**

Time has never seemed to pass as slowly as it did today. Waiting in that room for her to come back from wherever it was she had gone to was time for thoughts to run rampant. The message had been dire to me when I read it. Daenerys, beautiful and strong, had to be kept from battle by means of an herbal remedy. Because she was with child and refused to rest. She was with child. That made my heart burst with joy and clench in fear. In the long years since we'd first bonded, she had expressed a desire for children to me once. Not to replace the ones she'd been denied but because she wanted to share in the joy of being a mother to _my_ child. She had a voracious appetite for sex, something that I'd nearly forgotten before her arrival into my life. I still remember that day vividly. Being brought before me as the only survivor of an attack by the filthy Spiders that invaded my forest, she was not frightened or a simpering human woman that I would have expected her to be. I looked at her and found her strength had enhanced her natural beauty.

When I saw Itarielle, the Ring of Starlight graced her hand, I had been intrigued that a mortal woman would have such a thing in her possession. Mortals do not simply happen upon magic rings and this one was of special interest because it was not under the purview of the One Ring when it had been forged. It was not as powerful as Nenya, Vilya or Narya but was still a potent magic to be sure. When she denied it to me, I had not the heart to force her to stay and give it up. Something about her made me let her go. I spent the interim years between that first meeting and our next wondering if I should have done something more. Our next meeting was less than ideal and it had come as a surprise that she had not aged a day when I saw her at the end of the greeting party to Imladris. Then the Orcs had launched their attack. I would have been injured, perhaps killed, if she had not taken it upon herself to be speared in my place.

Carrying her wounded body to Imladris had been a privilege. She had saved my life at the cost of nearly ending her own. And I could only sympathize with her when she wept in a delirium over children she'd lost. It had made my own heart ache for her when she begged me to tell her children that she loved them, that she hadn't wanted them to be taken from her. I assumed at first that she had lost them in a tragedy, where they had died and gone to wherever it was mortal souls passed to. When I learned that she was not mortal, as I'd previously thought, that she was something more… it made a strange feeling take root in my heart. She'd not lost her children to disease or death, I learned. She was stolen from them and would likely never see them again, or they would be adults by now if she did.

Once she was on the mend, I had found myself checking on her every day. I would come by while she was sleeping and watch. At first. She had a tendency to speak in her sleep. Some of the things she said were impossible to understand. What was an airplane? Or a roller coaster? She would mutter names of people and places I did not know. Certain names brought her to weep in her sleep. Caeryn. Maelys. Liam. Lucian. When she was awake, she did not seem quite as troubled. The first time I walked near her rooms and heard her singing, I was taken in by her voice. Her song was strange and mournful, yet still had a joyous tune to it. I had committed moment to memory. She still believes to this day that the first time I heard her sing was when she sang that song about being happy. I remember that the first song she sang for Mithrandir was that scandalous song about dragons, knights and kings. The song I first remember hearing from her sounded like a lament and celebration of Men only living 100 years. It was in a rare moment when she'd been alone. For a few weeks after her injury, she'd been forced to sleep through much of the healing process because of how headstrong she was about doing things for herself. She would get up to walk before she was ready to.

The only daughter of Elrond had caught me one evening as I lingered to hear her sing. Though she said nothing, there was a feeling that she saw more than my enjoying a song from a gifted voice. I ignored her and listened to the strange songs that she would impart. At that moment, her song was gentle but told a story. I found it to be fascinating.

"I was five and he was six, we rode on horses made of sticks!

He wore black and I wore white! He would always win the fight!

Bang, bang! He shot me down. Bang, bang! I hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! My baby shot me down!

Seasons came and changed the time. When I grew up, I called him mine!

He would always laugh and say, 'Remember when we used to play?'

'Bang, bang! I shot you down. Bang, bang! You hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! I used to shoot you down!'

Music played and people sang! Just for me, the church bells rang!

Now he's gone. I don't know why. And to this day, sometimes I cry.

He didn't even say goodbye, he didn't take the time to lie.

Bang, bang! He shot me down. Bang, bang! I hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! My baby shot me down!"

Daenerys's voice was haunting to me. When I walked in dreams, I could hear the songs she would sing following me there. It was confusing that I would feel so much for a woman that was not my wife, whom had passed to the Halls of Mandos so long ago. Memories of the Eldar do not diminish over time, as they do with mortals. I still could imagine Gyril, the wife I'd lost so long ago. Her silver-blonde hair, her gentle blue eyes, her delicate hands. She'd been murdered by Orc filth while protecting our son, Legolas, from harm. He'd been perhaps twenty years old, though children of the Eldar grow differently from childhood to adulthood.

His body was that of a boy of seven in mortal terms. They'd been part of a group that had gone to the wood for gathering fruits and berries for a coming celebration. The Orcs had been tracking them since they left the safety of our halls. When they did not return from the excursion, I led a small contingent of soldiers to investigate and found that most of them were dead. Legolas was hiding in the branches of one of the taller trees. Gyril had bade him to stay there until I found him. She was taken and killed to hurt _me._ We found her broken, violated body several days later. There were many wounds, though none of them should have been fatal. I'd guessed the truth from the thick stains of blood between her thighs when we prepared her body for burial. I had a special hatred for Orcs and for rapists among Men and other peoples. My beloved Gyril had released her hold on her body and the troubles of this world for the Halls of Mandos. Elves cannot bear to remain in physical bodies when they have been abused in such a way; to rape an Elf was to kill them.

I forced those thoughts from my mind. It only reminded me of the heartaches that Daenerys had endured as well. Instead, I focused on other memories. Like the night her true nature had been shown to me. She'd just finished singing for Mithrandir and was speaking with Arwen and her brothers when she began to groan in pain. We could feel magic brewing in the air and it was centered around her. When her arm broke from an unseen force and a dark portal began to form behind her, through her cries of pain, we heard Mithrandir chanting in old tongues of Men and Elves to arrest the magics that were causing her so much distress. Many of us stepped forward to help her but she cast us all aside with panic in her eyes. The portal closed but her arm was limp at her side and she looked to be in agony. We were all thrown back by a force we'd never felt before and then she leapt from the balcony and _flew_ to the forest. _Flew_.

I remember that it didn't take long for us to regain our wits and a small host of us began to search for Daenerys in the forest. I saw her then as I'd never seen her before when we found her. Her eyes were not their normal soft brown but a fearsome blue-on-black that glowed and glistened on their own. Her skin was pale and almost a bluish-grey, fingers that bore claws instead of nails, and her mouth was filled with sharp teeth as she hissed. She paused when she was confronted by Elrond and his sons. When she saw me, there was something in her eyes that was both threatening and conveyed strong desire. She threw herself at me and at first I had the upper hand. Then she had me pinned to the ground with one hand, Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir moved to strike but I saw something in her that caused me to give a warning glance to them and they stopped. She cocked her head from side to side as she stared at me and I stared back, refusing to show fear. She dipped her lips close to my throat and I listened while she took in my scent, dragging her nose from one side of my throat to the other. She pulled away and gave me a look of confusion before she let my arms go and jumped back a fair distance. She put her hand to her head and looked to be in some pain before turning and running faster than I'd have imagined.

When we caught back up to her, a deer was in her grasp and she was latched onto the poor creature. Her eyes were closed and her mouth pulled blood urgently from the wound she'd inflicted. When she was done, she stumbled back and fell to the ground, looking truly horrified. I could see that regret and fear when she looked at me especially. I'd been disgusted initially, but Elrond had told me of her strange nature, though I was sure that she'd not discussed this part of it with him. Her arm, which had been horribly disfigured, was completely healed. When we came back to Imladris with her, I tried to see her but she seemed too ashamed. Daenerys refused to see anyone outside of receiving a few meals before she disappeared from her room one night. It was a long time before I saw her again, though she was never far from my thoughts.

When I next saw Daenerys, she looked more vibrant and beautiful as she stood alongside Bard in the ruins of Dale. She'd been there to defend a family she'd helped bring to fruition. A boy she'd found named Arradir was a grandfather now and he fought in the Battle of the Five armies. Watching her fight was astounding. When the battle was over, I had been unable to restrain myself from acting on the feelings that had been growing in me when I thought of her. I kissed her. That first kiss was like the first spark to a flame that burned hotter and brighter than I could have imagined it would. When she came back to my Halls, I would watch her jealously as she spent time with Maedros or others that were not yet bonded. I would listen to her play music and sing. The night I took her, she took _me._ I remembered the look on her face when she began to disrobe me, the slight tremble in her fingers when she first touched my naked flesh. I saw the surprise and apprehension in her eyes when she saw my length.

I worshipped her body with my fingers, my tongue, my lips every night since then. I gave her every part of me and she gave me every part of her in return. She told me everything there was to know about her life before Middle Earth. She explained the scar I'd noticed on her abdomen the first time I saw her bared skin. She talked of the wonders of the world she'd grown up in, how she'd come to be the type of Immortal she was now. She told me about her pregnancy and how with the devices of her world, she was able to know so much before her children were even born. In return, I laid my own life bare to her, though she respected my wish not to speak of Gyril in too much detail. I showed her the scars I used magic to conceal and told her of my previous experience with dragons. She tenderly kissed those scars and told me that she found me to still be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. It made me comfortable to release that magic at times around her, for she did not look upon me any differently.

I'd been disappointed to learn that she'd joined the Fellowship of the Ring but I knew Daenerys was more than able to defend herself. I had never feared losing her until that day she'd been found by one of the patrols. I didn't wait for them to bring her inside; I rushed to her side and despaired at the sight that greeted me. Two gaping holes, one in her chest where her heart was beating at a sluggish pace, the other in her abdomen. Her legs and hips were splayed at an unnatural angle and they didn't move at all, though her hands and arms moved some. I ordered for them to find some animal for her to feed from but as fast as she was fading, Daenerys would never have made it. It was not a difficult decision to have her feed from me. She had resisted me at first. She was terrified that she might kill me, that she wouldn't be able to stop. I trusted her with my life.

Her bite had been painful but bearable. When she'd let go after a few mouthfuls of my blood, something happened. She had healed, yes, but her body began to glow brightly and the sounds that she made were horrible. I was grateful that she did not seem to be awake for the pain she was experiencing as she writhed in my arms. When she stilled, I checked frantically for life within her and breathed a sigh of relief when I found it. The spot she had fed from on my own neck healed half a moment later. Bringing her back to the healers, they could only be amazed at her still being alive. They couldn't find anything wrong with her. When her appearance started changing, I was unsure of what to do. Her skin slowly started to become more luminous and her ears were changing from rounded to pointed, like that of an Elf. Her features became softer. She changed slowly like this for three weeks and I was by her side when I could be. Word had reached me that the enemy was coming. I had been making preparations to march our armies to meet them in battle.

Her awakening had brought me joy. Daenerys then told me of a dream she'd had, one where Illúvatar had blessed her and our union. Where she'd been given two other gifts. A blessing upon _me_ so that she may never fear to feed from me again, if she should so desire. The other gift, she did not know what it was to be. She awoke too soon to hear it. Whatever that gift was, I felt as if I had been given the better gift: Illúvatar had blessed Daenerys, so she could follow into the West when it was time for me to depart these lands. I would not have to part from her again.

The night of her awakening, when I kissed her, it was as though our bodies _had_ to unite. She and I were desperate to become one. I had never felt such a hunger for her body before. After that, she could see the mingling of our fëa that I'd seen from our first union. I poured my entire heart into our lovemaking that night and when she left the next morning, I hadn't wanted her to go. Something in my heart had begged me to make her stay. It was so hard for me to let her go. After the battles were fought and my talks with Celeborn were done, I only wished to see her again.

Daenerys walked into the room slowly and I did not let myself react to her appearance. She was thinner than I had ever seen her and a small bump on her belly told me that her pregnancy was real. The bruises under her eyes and the hollows of her cheeks made my heart ache. She was not drinking the blood they had tried to bring her and she could not keep the food she ate down for long. I gave her my wrist and this time, her bite actually brought… pleasure. It was most strange and satisfying to feel her lips and tongue lapping at the wound her teeth made, the gentle pulling of her mouth. She didn't feed for long but I was pleased that she immediately looked better. The color returned to her cheeks and the bruises under her eyes were less prominent. I laid her in bed and she curled onto her side to rest. I left her there and began to attend to the things I had mentioned to her.

Legolas, though glad to see me, was of a heavy heart. He had heard the call of the Sea. He had the longing now. My son was happy for the news of Daenerys's pregnancy. He looked forward to meeting his new sibling. But he was concerned for Daenerys, too. She barely spoke to him since he'd sent the message that brought me here.

"She was very angry that I was the one who told you about her condition. I think she would have preferred to tell you herself," he looked worriedly towards where she was currently sleeping. I nodded.

"It is something she asked of me many years ago and it is something that she would have wanted to tell me herself," I responded. "She is very headstrong."

"I'm sorry for what had to be done, Adar. She was not listening and we felt it was best to stop her from hurting herself. When Lucian told me, I could not stand by."

"This… Lucian. I have not met him yet. He is the father of her children?"

"Yes. He has not come near her since he first made her sleep. Her daughters and son are the only ones she has visited with since, aside from the Hobbits and Aragorn."

"I wish to meet them. All four of them. Today," I commanded and a slight frown crossed my son's face.

"You wish to meet Lucian?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, Adar. I was unsure if I had understood your intention," Legolas responded. "I am sure they would be able to meet with you. How soon?"

"As soon as you are able to make this meeting happen." I turned and nodded to him before I walked away. For several hours, I was in council with Elessar, Elrond and the Steward. There were many matters to discuss and we discussed them at length. When we left that chamber, night was coming. When I returned to Daenerys's room, she was still curled up in bed, sleeping. I found a woman in the hallway passing by and commanded her to bring some food. Fruit, bread and hot broth were brought to the room and a full pitcher of water and a bottle of wine for myself. I set the food on the table next to the bed before I climbed in next to her. I woke her with gentle strokes to her hair and soft words. She gave me a tired, bleary look.

"Thranduil?" her voice was thick with sleep.

"It has been many hours, my love. You must try to eat something," I told her as I helped her to sit up. She decided to settle in my lap and curl up against my chest. I picked up some grapes and handed them to her. She ate them slowly before reaching for the bread. She tore off a piece and dipped it into the broth. She ate slowly and with purpose and I watched her carefully. When she could eat no more, I was pleased that there were only a few pieces of bread left on the plate and the broth was all but gone. There was still some fruit, which she offered to me and I ate them from her fingers. I had to smile when I saw that she looked wistfully at the strawberries, as she always did.

"I've said it before and I will always repeat it: I really wish that I had some chocolate to dip this into. Chocolate covered strawberries were always my favorite," her voice was soft. She closed her eyes and took the strawberry into her mouth, chewing slowly and carefully. She once told me that she always imagined it was covered in chocolate when she ate them. Her sigh of pleasure every time she ate them that way was always pleasant to hear and she would often say that she wished she could share that memory of the taste with me.

"Daenerys," I said softly and she looked up to me with a curious expression as I loosened my robes and then shrugged them from my shoulders, then the shirt and undershirt beneath. "You seemed to get better a lot faster once you fed from me. I would have you regain all of your strength."

"Thranduil… you don't have to do this," she said softly. I cupped her cheek.

"I would have you regain _all_ of your strength," I repeated in a more commanding tone. She closed her eyes and sighed before they opened again and her eyes were that strange black and blue and her mouth was filled with sharper teeth.

"Please, tell me if I hurt you?" she asked quietly and I nodded. Her eyes focused on my neck. She leaned in and pressed a few kisses on the right side before she bit down. Her fingers wove into my hair and I closed my eyes. My head fell back against the wall as that strange pleasure filled me again. It should have hurt, like it did the first time. It should have made me feel weak that she was pulling the blood from my body but I felt strong. My arms wrapped around her and a strange purring noise came from deep in her throat. I could feel her body strengthening in my arms, the thinness that had me worried was filling out. When she let go, she lapped up a few droplets that had escaped her mouth. A tingling sensation came from where she'd bitten me and then her fingers probed the flesh there. "Unmarked," she murmured. "Not even a scar."

"I feel perfectly fine," I told her. I examined her as she leaned back to look at me. Daenerys looked as vibrant as the last time I'd made love to her now. The bruises under her eyes were gone and the gaunt appearance was now full and lively. Her lips were slightly redder and her tongue darted out to remove the evidence of her feeding. Her eyes had returned to normal and I pulled her to me for a kiss that she avoided in favor of a drink of water.

"You shouldn't have to taste blood when you kiss me," she was soft-spoken on that. I pulled the cup she was drinking from her and placed it on the table.

"I will concentrate only on the taste of you, then," I replied and pulled her to me. Her scent, her mouth always tasted sweet to me. She smelled of a spring rain and her mouth always tasted of blueberries and raspberries. Before her, I'd forgotten how comforting and enjoyable a lover's touch could be. Our kisses were gentle and chaste and I found myself wanting more. I'd turned to other desires before her appearance in my life. I'd turned to music and art and matters of the kingdom. Thoughts of love were painful and had been pushed from my mind but were never far from my heart. I'd built a wall up around it to keep out unwanted influences. She broke right through, as though that wall never existed. For that, I loved her more. I had been blind to all but my own pain. She gave me the strength to endure and rise above it.

She pulled away from my wanting lips and pressed kisses to my forehead. Though her strength had returned, she still was tired. I removed my robes and we lay in that bed together while she fell asleep. I poured some wine and drank while she slept, just watching the way she curled into my side. She would run her hand over the small bump on her belly every few minutes. When I put my hand over that spot, her hand stilled on mine and she curled even tighter to me. Daenerys groaned softly in distress when I eventually left the bed. I could not stay there all night, not when I had other things I had planned. Legolas was waiting for me outside the door after I dressed. He led me to the courtyard where I found identical twin women that bore a striking resemblance to the woman I loved and a young man that was very similar in appearance to her and the Man that stood further away from us. The courtyard we were meeting in had once bore the White Tree of Gondor and now held only a seedling. I could only assume that the Man was Lucian and these were the children they had together. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him before beginning a very long, tense meeting.

* * *

 ** _Daenerys_**

I woke feeling better than I had in days. It was still dark out and I looked to see where Thranduil had gone but he wasn't in the room with me. I hopped out of bed with a stretch that went through my whole body. All my strength had returned. I was feeling as strong as I had ever before. I'd filled back out into a more natural shape and realized that the clothes I'd been given no longer fit right. They were a little too tight. It wasn't too big of an issue though. A little bit of time spent letting it out would do the trick. But first, there were more important things to tend to. Such as food. I was hungry again. I ate the remaining pieces of fruit and the bread had gone hard. There was no more broth in the bowl for me to dip those pieces in. Wandering out to the hallway and looking for the pantry was my next goal. I'd been there a few times and had foraged for snacks with the Hobbits more than once.

Cold chicken, carrots and broccoli were placed into a pot of water to boil as I toiled in the kitchen to make a bit of soup. Onions and potatoes were chopped and added in. My spirits were up and getting brighter by the moment. I placed a hand over my bump and smiled. I was in a very good mood indeed. I began to hum my favorite song from childhood, 'Magic Dance' from the film _Labyrinth_. It wasn't long before I was singing the song, dancing to the imaginary music of the tune. I added herbs to the boiling pot and the aroma coming from it was making my hunger grow. So far off in my own world, I did not realize I had an audience until I'd begun singing all of the songs I'd loved as a child. I was in a spirited rendition of 'Hakuna Matata' when I heard a cough. I turned with a start and gasped in surprise.

"Such a spirited song!" laughed Liam. "I've never heard the like before!"

"If you'd been raised by me, you would have. That and many more," I said as I stirred the pot, my heart returning to normal. "I would have loved to teach you and your sisters all of the great songs of my childhood. There were so many I think you would have liked. I still can."

"And they will learn these songs," my eyes widened as I realized that Thranduil was there behind my son, as were my daughters. "Forgive us. We were speaking of our return to Eryn Lasgalen and heard you singing."

"I woke and you were gone. I was hungry," I felt a little foolish now for having sung so loudly. I pulled the finished soup from the stove and found some bowls. I gestured to them to see if anyone wished to join me. My children took bowls but Thranduil did not. "If we are talking about returning home, how long until we make the journey?"

"We will begin our journey in two weeks. I wish to be sure that you are fully recovered before we leave," Thranduil spoke in the tones he used around others when he was being a King. I'd learned long ago that there were two different sides to him: the gentle husband and lover that would tenderly hold me and kiss me in private and the prideful warrior King that showed no quarter to his enemies, strong and fierce.

"Very well," I smiled slightly as I finished ladling soup into the bowls. I took some buns I found and passed them out, keeping two for myself. While my children watched with slightly wide eyes, I ate at least three bowls of soup and four buns. I was surprised by my own appetite. It had increased markedly from before. Even Thranduil's eyebrow was raised by the amount of food I just packed away. "By the Valar, has my appetite grown to Hobbit sized or what?" I laughed with a little blush staining my cheeks. "My body must be making up for what it was missing before."

"You need not worry, Daenerys. It is natural with the Eldar to crave so much more in the first few months," Thranduil assured me with a slight smirk. There was pride in his eyes as he spoke. "Your hunger will return to normal before the sixth month."

"I don't know if I should be worried or relieved," I muttered as I snagged a strawberry from the pantry as I placed the bowls we'd used into a basin meant for cleaning the dishes. Caeryn laughed at me, causing Maelys to laugh as well. I shook my head and smiled.

* * *

Time could truly pass quickly when you were happy. I learned this lesson well and enjoyed the fruits of it. When we finally reached Eryn Lasgalen, I was reaching my fifth month and I was starting to need help in getting on and off the horse, though I often found myself riding in front of Thranduil. He enjoyed wrapping his arm around and rubbing my belly every so often while we rode. Caeryn, Maelys and Liam were coming with us and Lucian had decided to stay in Gondor. Apparently, Thranduil and Lucian had met and spoken very plainly with each other. Lucian had measured the kind of man, or Elf, that Thranduil was based on that meeting and he was satisfied that I was being well loved. He told me later that he wanted to make sure I hadn't been coerced into anything and for that, I gave him a kiss on the forehead and a hug. Making up with Legolas was not hard, just embarrassing. Thankfully, he was very understanding and gracious. He was very surprised when I hugged him. I didn't show affection to him usually, so it was something he was not expecting from me.

The forest seemed brighter as we rode through. I leaned back into Thranduil's chest and turned my face up to the sunlight that filtered down through the leaves. I sighed in enjoyment of the movement of the elk we rode, of the warm air and of the feeling of being held. I gasped slightly as I felt a kick. The first kick. It happened again and I didn't want Thranduil to miss it, so I pulled his hand from my hip and placed it in the perfect spot for him to feel what I hoped would happen again. Looking up at his face while I did this, I saw curiosity and then joy fill his eyes at the movement. We exchanged grins.

Reaching the Halls of the Kingdom, it spread through quickly that the Queen was with child. It was known that I had been returned to the King a few months ago, so it wasn't a scandal. Guards and healers surrounded me and I was taken to where I could be examined and fawned over. Once satisfied that I was fine, I was able to make my way to the dining hall. Although I was able to dine in finer accommodations, I preferred the company of the Elves I'd grown fond of and friendly with. My appetite was still very strong but it had begun to wane. Thranduil and I had gotten into a nightly routine where he would let me feed from him, at his insistence. We had discussed the strange pleasure he seemed to derive from my bite but we had no idea what it meant. I theorized that because Illúvatar had given him the ability to nourish me from his own blood at any time without the consequence of death that he did not want one of his children to suffer in the process. Making it into a pleasurable experience made sense that way.

The weeks progressed with great ease after our return. The triplets were spending a lot of time wandering through the kingdom and with me. My daughters were talented singers and my son was fair with a piano. They would sit and listen to the music I'd play and the songs I'd sing before begging for me to teach them. Nights were joyous because I'd get to tell them stories that I'd always wanted to tell them. I told my favorite Grimm fairy tales and I would tell them the Disney version, the singing of all the songs included. Thranduil was there for some of this and let out a rare laugh when I started singing "Under the Sea" in an accent that was supposed to sound like Sebastian's Jamaican accent. It startled some of the people who'd been there at the time. I was used to him laughing when we were in private, so his smooth tones lifted in mirth weren't such a shock.

Of late, our private time together had become more intense than ever. At night, Thranduil would caress my body tenderly or he would kiss burning trails across my skin. When we made love, it was slow and torturous to me. He knew my body well and he played it to his advantage that he would make me sigh and cry out from his ministrations. I was at his mercy and found I didn't feel the need to put him at mine as much anymore. He would stare at my growing belly with unrestrained joy and pride. He had taken to laying his head on my chest as I fell asleep at night so that he could listen to my heartbeat and, with his keen hearing, hear that of our child.

Our lovemaking stopped at the eighth month when I had a scare that I was going to give birth early. Elvish pregnancies last for one year and when I had started feeling like I was having contractions, it had scared me silly. The midwife told me that I likely had another two months left, taking into consideration that my heritage could shorten the time by a month, perhaps more. By the size of my belly, I was sure that I might be carrying twins again but I couldn't know without an ultrasound and when I tried to listen for the child's heartbeat with my own superior hearing, I couldn't figure out if it were one heart or two that I caught. Either way, I was excited at the prospect. Legolas returned to Mirkwood to gather volunteers to move to Ithilien and rejuvenate the forest there. I suspected that his motives were also to be present at the birth of his younger sibling.

On the day that I finally gave birth it had been eleven months to the day. I was busy tuning a new guitar when the string snapped. I jerked my hand back in pain. There was a nice little red mark on my skin, just below my wrist on my left hand from where the string had snapped back. _At least I'm not bleeding. Still stings, though,_ I thought as I rose to grab another string from the supplies. I was huge. I felt like the Titanic and knew any day this ship was sinking. Whenever I waddled through the kingdom, there were always Elves that were trying to help me walk. I had no balance anymore and fell over easily. It amused Thranduil endlessly that I was unable to keep standing for more than a few minutes without tipping to one side or another. I told him that there was something that people did in the countryside of my world called 'cow tipping,' and that's how I felt these days. Except there weren't any rambunctious teenagers tipping me over, it was my own equilibrium that was causing it for me.

On this day, Maedros was there to help me stay balanced and he already had a new string in hand for me. I took a step forward to grab it and hot liquid rushed from between my thighs. Looking down, there was a growing puddle of clear fluid that soaked my slippers and spread across the floor. With wide eyes, I looked up and saw the confusion on my friend's face.

"Get Thranduil. Now. The child comes!" I whispered as I took a seat again. I wasn't moving from this spot. I wasn't taking chances this time. This child would be born naturally, not by a dagger. Maedros nodded and took off in a sprint, hair fluttering behind him. I was shaking with excitement and nerves by the time Thranduil arrived. His hauntingly beautiful face was twisted into a mixture of excitement, nervousness and joy. He gently caressed my cheek.

"It is time?" He asked softly. I nodded. Already I was getting some tension in the muscles of my belly. Contractions were starting. He moved to pick me up but I shook my head.

"I want to walk. It's supposed to be good for the birth if I'm up and walking," I muttered as I concentrated on standing up. I required a little help standing up again. He walked behind me, hands on my waist to keep me steady as we walked to our room. I stopped several times, grasping his hand desperately while a contraction burned through me and garnered stares and whispers of excitement from the people as we passed them. There was a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead by the time we reached our destination and I could hear the steps of the midwife behind us. She smiled at me and led me to the bed. Maedros was dismissed, though he had a concerned look on his face. I smiled and waved at him as he left.

"My lady, you are correct. Please, lay back and I will examine how far along you are in the process of birth," she said to me while I followed her instructions. She lifted the skirts that were in her way and examined me carefully. A small smile crossed her lips. "You are in just the beginning stages, my lady. I would say that for now, you should continue walking around. I will monitor your progress every hour."

For several hours, I would walk around and she would check my progress. Caeryn and Maelys visited with me, as did Liam. Friends to Thranduil and myself would come by to see if the child had arrived yet. Sixteen hours passed before I was ready to push. It was obvious that Thranduil was concerned that things weren't going faster. _Elves must not have such a long labor if he's looking so worried._ I didn't lay on the bed when it was time. I had changed into an older shift and Thranduil was standing behind me, giving me support and holding my hands. The midwife, Cíwel, was at my feet coaxing me. I was soaked through with sweat as the next contraction burned through me. I pushed as I was bade to and was rewarded with an exclamation of excitement as the child's head could be seen. With the second push, the head emerged. Thranduil was the only reason I was still standing. He was bearing my entire weight. I was grateful that Elves were naturally so much stronger than humans.

"One more push, my lady!" Cíwel encouraged. I leaned my head against my love's chest and took a breath as another contraction ripped through me. I pushed with a cry of determination and felt the child slip out into the midwife's waiting arms. I sagged and panted as she tied off the umbilical cord and then cut it. She cleaned the ichor from the child's face and we looked on eagerly. "A daughter, my King! You have a daughter! _Praise Eru Illúvatar!"_

I laughed and was guided to the bed to rest. I still had to pass the placenta but I could rest for the moment while I got the chance to hold my new daughter. As I held out my arms to hold my child, I felt a deep pressure in my pelvis. I hadn't yet laid down on the bed and cried out in surprise when my body demanded I push. _The placenta? Already?_ I thought. Cíwel gently handed Thranduil his first-born daughter and rushed to me. Another healer was on hand in case of an emergency and he stepped forward to assist.

"My lady! Another head is crowning!" cried the midwife in surprise. Thranduil's eyes widened and he looked to me in wonder. I was giving him _two_ children. He gently rocked the weeping babe he already cradled in his arms. I moaned as I pushed a second time. Moments felt like hours as another contraction came and I pushed a third time. The child was guided out by the experienced hands of Cíwel and I leaned back against the bed for the support I needed. "Another daughter!" cried the surprised and joyful Elf.

I was given a few moments before I was ready to birth the placenta. There were two of them, which told me that they were fraternal twins. I was cleaned up and helped into the bed by the other healer while Cíwel looked over my newborn infants. The youngest was gently laid in my arms wrapped in a bundle of small warm blankets. She opened her eyes as she cried and I was joyful to see her father's blue shining back at me. Thranduil came beside me and knelt down so that I could see the older of the two. She would have my darker eyes when she grew up, I could tell. They were beautiful, the most beautiful infants I had ever seen. They had delicate features that I couldn't stop looking at and their leaf-shaped ears stole my heart on sight.

"I never dreamed I would have more children," Thranduil murmured softly to me, to them. His eyes were alight with a joy and fire that raised my own heart. "And then you came and changed everything. My wife! My _daughters_! No gold, no silver, no gem is more precious than my children! Send word to the people! There are two new princesses of Eryn Lasgalen!"

The other healer was smiling and left with a bow. From behind the door that he left through, Legolas came in and a surprised look crossed his face when he saw two bundles instead of one. I was exhausted as I gestured for him to come closer.

"Twins?" he asked softly. I nodded and smiled.

"You have two baby sisters to visit as often as you can," I murmured. I looked to Thranduil and his eyes were glued to the bundle in his arms and a gentle smile was plastered to his lips. His gaze shifted to the squirming infant in my arms and the smile grew. He was alight with love. Unexpectedly, he put an arm around Legolas and in an unusual show of affection, placed a kiss on his eldest son's hair before placing a gentle kiss on each of his daughter's foreheads. Then he kissed me sweetly on the lips. Nothing but joy shown in him.

That night, we could hear the celebrations from our room as the people rejoiced at a safe birth and at the unexpected joy of the twins. I had pillows piled on either side of my body and one babe suckled my breast on each side under my watchful eye. I had trembled briefly after they were born. I was terrified that a yawning black portal would open up behind me and steal me away as it had before. When none came, I was slow but happy to let myself enjoy these pleasant moments as much as I could. Thranduil did not leave my side as I nursed, nor did he care if he was missing the celebrations. He was enamored with his daughters.

We had spoken at length on what we would name our child. He told me that it was traditional for the father of the child to name it and later, when it was older, the mother could give a second name based upon the child's personality. I had been disappointed at first but I didn't argue. I only asked that I could give input on the meaning of the names. The ceremony where we would name our daughters would be taking place in a few days' time. I was exhausted and loved every second of it. It was no small fear I had, however, that Liam, Maelys and Caeryn would see how I was with their new sisters and become envious. I was afraid they would be angry that they could not receive my attentions in the way their sisters would and they were right to be angry, if they were to become so. They should have had the chance to be loved by their mother in this way.

"They are so tiny, so beautiful," I sighed as my fingers delicately stroked their tiny hands. For the thousandth time, and certainly not the last, Thranduil leaned in to kiss me chastely on the lips. I could practically see the pride in his eyes when he looked at the three of us, the love and adoration. I'd seen such looks before but now it was very intense. I knew that he would never let harm fall upon any of us, ever. And my heart broke a little with the knowledge that eventually, I was going to be pulled from his grasp, from this world. He was an Elf with renewed purpose since I'd become his wife. When I left this world, whenever that might be, I feared he would crumble. I hadn't the heart to tell him that I feared being taken again. I think we both had assumed that because Gandalf had stopped it the last time that the cycle was broken.

I felt the younger of the two detach from my breast and motioned for Thranduil to take her. He easily and gently lifted her and with a cloth on his shoulder began to rub and soothe her back until she burped delicately. I pulled my breast back into my shift and waited until the other was no longer suckling before I lifted her and did the same. The crib that Thranduil himself had constructed was large enough to accommodate both children for now but there would need to be a second crib soon. I looked tenderly upon the infant in my arms. Dark eyes looked back and a yawn erupted from her delicate lips. I was in love all over again.

Days passed and soon the naming ceremony was upon us. Thranduil named the eldest Síriel and the youngest Lírel, River and Song. I refused to feed from Thranduil when offered for the next few weeks. My body slowly returned to its natural shape in its own time. Time passed so quickly for us. The budding romance between Elrohir and Caeryn became a full-blown courtship. It wasn't more than a few years before he came to me and quietly asked for my blessing in his desire to pledge himself to her. I told him that she was an immortal, like myself, and that he could choose the life of the Eldar. He was pleased to hear this and smiled. He'd wished to ask Lucian's blessing as well but he could not be found. After the War of the Ring, he had left civilization and gone back to the Wilds. None had heard of him since.

The one year engagement was over before I knew it and Elrohir and Caeryn wed in Eryn Lasgalen so that I might not need to travel away from my young ones. Nothing ever became of Maelys and Legolas. They became good friends but nothing more. Lírel and Síriel were like night and day as they grew. Amazingly, Síriel grew to have dark blue eyes that mirrored the rivers she had been named for. They were stormy and perilous. Her hair was blonde, though a darker blonde wavy than either her father or her brother. Lírel had the exact same shade of blue eyes as her father and dark brown curly hair that fell in rivulets that any hair stylist would have been envious of. There were natural red highlights that shown brightly when she stood in the sunlight. Every day, Thranduil and I marveled at the children we were raising. Síriel was becoming a vibrant and passionate elleth that loved learning the art of war from her father, who trained her personally in sword work. When Legolas would visit, he would test her skills in archery and in close-quarter combat. She was becoming a most proficient and deadly warrior.

Lírel was a more gentle soul and had a passion for art and music. She was especially gifted with the cello and had caught many eyes as she grew into adulthood. She learned to fight, as all Elves did, but she enjoyed musical pursuits far more. She was oblivious to all other things, including those ellons that tried to gain her favor. Her music was all. Both of them were able to take after me, if they got angry enough. Their strength was frightening when they fought for their lives. I'd only seen it on one occasion. We were traveling to Imladris together to speak with Elladan and Elrohir on familial matters. Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf had long since departed to the West and the twin sons were the Lords of the Last Homely House now. We were capable of making the trip with just three of us but we were given a strong escort on command of the King.

We'd barely made it half way there when a band of Orcs came upon us. They were a larger group and they had set their sights on destroying us. When cornered and disarmed, Lírel and Síriel had changed before my eyes. The light of the Eldar within them was always luminous to the eye but it became brighter in them both, their eyes both turned to the electric blue irises I would sport when I let my Hybrid nature take over. The whites of their eyes remained. Their canine teeth and the teeth next to them became more pointed but not all of them would change. They became more beautiful in this state, almost entrancing to look at. They tore the armor and flesh of the filthy creatures like tissue paper with their bare hands. I'd never seen anything like it but I did not fear it. I was grateful that they had never tasted blood before. If they ever were to prefer that over normal food, they would be terrifying in the pursuit.

We spent a good amount of time there, at least a year, before visiting Gondor and returning home. We spent several months there. I enjoyed spending time with Arwen, who was looking the same as ever. Aragorn, now called King Elessar, was growing more and more silver-haired every day. Legolas and the Elves that had followed him to Ithilien had done a marvelous job in rejuvenating the forest there and it was beautiful to walk among those trees. It was a relief to return to Thranduil, though. We remained in Eryn Lasgalen for a long, long time. It was nearly Síriel and Lírel's birthday, which I insisted be marked as well as the day they were conceived, when they requested to travel to Imladris again. They wished to spend that time with both of their sisters and brother at once. Liam had taken a human wife after visiting Dale some hundred years past, a woman whom was also the descendant of Arradir as it turned out. Her name was Anwen and she was a solemn but sweet woman. He asked me to turn her, for he was fearful that he would kill her by accident. She was brave and didn't turn away from my fearsome countenance.

Maelys had not yet found love but had been living among Men in Gondor for some time and sent word that she would be with us on the appointed day. Caeryn and Elrohir were still there with Elladan in Imladris. They were waiting to cross into the West until after the passing of Arwen's grandson, the current King of Gondor. I sighed as I thought of the time I'd spent in this world. _848 years. The years have been kind. I've found love,_ true _love. I've gotten to know my children and bared the children of the one I can no longer live without. I have found my happiness,_ I thought with a little smile on my face. We were just about to clear the forests of Eryn Lasgalen for the first leg of our journey. Thranduil had insisted on escorting us through to the edge of our lands and rode beside me on his elk. My own horse was a sturdy white mare that I'd had for the last several years. Her name was Miss Edwina. One could easily guess what the name would have been if he'd been a stallion.

We had just cleared the border and were about to speak our last parting words when a sensation I hadn't felt since Gandalf had stopped it all those years ago. I had ridden a few yards out and turned to look back at the silver-blond haired Elf I loved with a smile that he returned with only a slight quirk of his lips. And then the pain came. It was far more intense than it had ever been and I fell off Miss Edwina with a gasp. The burning and freezing on my chest outweighed the agony of my arm. Thranduil and other Elves rushed to my side and I held up my hand to prevent them from coming closer.

"Daenerys, let me help you!" he cried and I shook my head.

"I can't! I don't know what will happen if you get too close! I won't risk it!" I cried. I screamed in pain as the black hole opened behind me. "I love you! Forever!"

The last thing I saw of Middle Earth was Thranduil's horrified expression and Síriel's hand reaching out to me. I was falling between the worlds and when the falling stopped, I was in the office I once knew so well. It was empty of people and I saw that it was dark outside. I curled up on the floor and began to sob. _I gave up on being here! I wanted to be with_ Thranduil! I thought brokenly. I felt the pain in my heart from this separation tear at me. Not since the quest I'd set out on with the Fellowship had I been so far from my love. I don't know how long I lay there, curled up into a quivering ball of sorrow. It must have been hours because when I heard the thick book drop from his hands, I looked up to see Rupert Giles with his mouth wide open in shock. He stepped forward and slowly reached out to me and I threw myself into his arms.

"Danni?" he whispered and I just cried harder. I didn't want to be here. "Where have you been?"

"How long?" I croaked through the tears I shed against his vest. He stroked my hair comfortingly, like a father would a daughter. "How long was I gone?"

"Several months," came the quiet answer. "Today is Halloween."

"Only a few months?" I asked faintly.

"How long were you there for, Danni?" he asked as he pulled away to look at me. I'd had short hair the last time he saw me.

"848 years," I responded after a moment. His eyes widened.

"Good lord," he whispered. "You must have expected your children to have been completely grown up when you came back."

I looked at him in surprise and then felt the grief wash over me again. Caeryn, Maelys and Liam. I'd been taken from them again. And now Síriel and Lírel. I ached for Thranduil to be here and knew that there was every chance that I would never see him again. The time I'd spent in Arda had changed me. I was no longer willing to kill people to get what I wanted. Even if they were scumbags, I couldn't bear the thought of killing without just cause any more.

"Danni… You should know that they disappeared…" Rupert began.

"I know. They were brought to the world I was just in," I replied with tears falling down my cheeks.

"When they were here, Snyder made it very difficult for us when they are brought over. Buffy was in a panic when they disappeared," he replied as he detangled himself from me and my travel clothes. Although I was dressed for traveling to Imladris, I was still wearing a shimmering, elegant gown that was tailored to my body. It flowed to the floor and dragged a little behind me. My boots went to my knees and were well formed to my calves and were of a similar color to the shimmering oranges and golds of my dress. The cloak I wore was warm and golden on the exterior but a flaming orange on the interior. I wore a jeweled circlet on my head that was crafted with one of the Jewels of Lasgalen at its heart, a gift from Thranduil on the first anniversary of our union. I had the sword I'd been given by Elladan and Elrohir strapped to one side and the sword Thranduil had given me on the other.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and rubbed at my eyes as I stood up. If today was Halloween, then no one would look at me twice for wearing this out in public. "Who is Snyder?"

"Principal Snyder. He's taken over since you were last here. He's a deplorable little weasel, if you ask me," Rupert said as he lent me a hand to help me get steady. I would have laughed if I'd had the heart.

"What did you guys tell everyone when I disappeared?" I asked more out of curiosity than actually caring. It would be nice to know if I still had a job, I supposed.

"The shock of Principal Flutie's death caused you to go into premature labor and you have been slowly recovering at home. Snyder tried to get rid of your position but I took it up with the school board and there was also the threat of a lawsuit in there. You've been getting paid your salary in your absence."

I nodded faintly. I felt another wave of grief wash over me and I sat in my office chair. Although there were a few things I didn't recognize in there, my office was exactly the same as when I left it. I would have preferred to be back in Arda.

"What's wrong? You look terribly sad," he asked as he knelt down in front of me.

"I've been gone for more than 800 years, Rupert. Here, it's been just a few months. During the time I was gone, I found my soulmate. My _soulmate._ I had two daughters with him. I'd thought that you all had turned to dust by now. I want my soulmate. I want _Thranduil_ ," Rupert gathered me into his arms again and I wept brokenly.

It wasn't until a student came into the library looking for something that Rupert let me go and I felt like a part of me had frozen. I stared off into nothing, my arms wrapped around myself, as though they were holding two broken halves together. I barely noticed when Rupert came back, so lost was I. I didn't even notice when he returned a short while later with his keys to his car. He quietly helped me up and led me out into the empty hallways. It was between classes. I didn't care. I was destined to become a shell without Thranduil. I'd still be able to perform any tasks appointed to me but the burning fire had gone out.

Rupert guided me to the passenger seat of his small car. He buckled me in and glanced at me worriedly. I didn't even blink when the door was shut. I stared blankly out the window, my arms wrapped around my middle, my heart breaking with every beat against my breast. A single tear traced the dried paths of the tears from before down my cheek. I didn't register anything until he stopped at a stoplight on the way to the apartment. I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of the car while it idled behind a smaller blue Honda. I ignored Rupert's indignant and pleading calls as I wandered over to the woods behind the mall. I would feel more comfortable there, I was sure of it. I could take the time to be reminded of the joy I'd felt in the woods of Mirkwood, now called Eryn Lasgalen. I found myself running deep into the forest until I came upon a small clearing. I collapsed to my knees and let the wail that had been begging to be freed race from my lips.

"Thranduil!" came my anguished cry and I fell to my side in a fetal position. I must have been there for some time but I didn't notice that sort of thing anymore. I only looked towards the other end of the clearing and shook with silent tears. By the time I finally had the strength to stand up, night had fallen. The woods were dark and had an air of mystery that went completely ignored. The sounds of children laughing and begging for candy as they went from door to door filled the air. In my formal traveling clothes, with my circlet and swords, I was not even slightly out of place. Walking through the streets brought a little clarity I'd needed sorely. _I will never see him again,_ I thought with an ache in my chest. That hole that existed right where my heart had been would never heal. _I must tend to the duties I have here. I have to remember how to do what I did before._

I was nearly to the apartment when the first terrified screams ripped through the once joyous night. Drawing my swords, I put myself into a defensive position that I'd learned from Maedros. Children were running around and so were dozens of small demons. More than I'd ever seen in my life. Unsure of what to do, I started heading down the street towards where I knew Buffy lived. If nothing else, she might know what in the hell was going on. My sorrow would have to wait. As I passed a group of children, I thought I saw a familiar face with long silver-blond hair wearing a dark suit but shook my head and blinked. It was impossible. It was my longing that made me imagine it was him. I turned away and continued down the street until I found Willow dressed in a maroon top that showed far more skin than I'd ever seen from the girl and a short black skirt. Her red hair was tied up on her head and she looked distinctly panicked. Xander was there holding a rather real looking military grade machine rifle and green fatigues. He pointed the gun at me as I stepped forward and Willow looked terrified.

"Xander! Stop! She's a friend!" the girl cried out before turning to me and beginning to babble, "Your name is Danni and you're our friend and you're not out of medieval times, okay? You are the assistant librarian at the school and you… Hey… when did you get back? I mean, you are Danni, right? You look like Danni but she got sucked into a black portal-y thing and that was months ago. Oh, I'm getting confused…"

"Willow, it's me," I told her gently. "I know who I am. Why would you think I don't?"

"Because Xander dressed up as an army guy and now he doesn't know who he is and neither do any of the other people I've seen. All these little demons are really kids! I saw the kids I was taking around turn right before my eyes!" she replied.

"And what did you go as…?" I asked with a raised brow. She looked down and used her arms to cover herself.

"I went as a ghost," Willow responded self-consciously.

"The ghost of… what?" I frowned.

"N-nothing," she ground out and then looked around. "We need to find Buffy!"

"What is a Buffy?" Xander asked as he shot off a few rounds into the air. It scared some of the demon children away from them for a moment but that wouldn't last long.

"Not what, who. She's—BUFFY!" Willow cried and our eyes were drawn to a tiny woman in a very bright fuchsia 18th century gown with long brown hair that had been shaken from whatever had held it up. She looked sorely confused and scared. When Willow approached and Xander behind her, she cried out in fear. I had to roll my eyes. If she became her costume, then she became the most helpless and idiotic creature imaginable – a noble woman. Most noble women I'd known in my life were morons that could barely breathe without someone telling them how. Why Buffy had chosen such a costume made me want to cringe. These were not smart people. Their job was just to look beautiful and hope that the person they married had enough money to sustain their lifestyle. I'd played the part of one of these nimrods for a short while after arriving in the new Americas and had probably lowered my IQ in the process.

"By all that is good in the world, please tell me that she didn't really become one of those simpering idiots?" I questioned as I used the flat side of my swords to slap at the bottoms of some smaller demons that got too close. Surveying the area around us, I noticed that the tall man in the suit with the long blond hair was staring at me still. He hadn't moved since settling in his place save to step out of the way of the transformed children when they got too close. Something about him was familiar to me. I tore my eyes away as Willow suggested that we go someplace nearby. It was a relief to see that she meant Buffy's house and I looked back to see the man was not following. I followed closely behind and only stopped to fight off another transformed child that had a pair of wicked looking swords. I overpowered him and kicked him back, pulled the swords from his hands and dug them into a nearby tree. The door to the kitchen was slammed shut as soon as I was inside. I walked into the living room to discover that Cordelia was there as well, having been rescued by Xander moments before. She was dressed in a cat costume and Willow was trying to explain that she was still a human, not a feline. I sighed. This was going to be a long, very irritating night.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to _Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or any of the _Underworld_ films. I also don't own _Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit_. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

 **Author's Note:** I would like to apologize for the length of time between this and my last update. I found myself busy with work and, quite frankly, in a bit of a rut. My muse abandoned me for a while there. In my absence, I had time to think about where I wanted this story to go and how it was going to get there. Thankfully, I've figured it out, for the most part.

I'd also like to address the fell beast in the room: Someone mentioned in a review that for a character that I have been giving more and more powers, she tends to get injured and knocked out fairly often. Admittedly, in the last few chapters, she has been beaten to a bloody pulp and KO'd a few times. Some of these instances actually occur centuries apart from one another. This is because, for all her powers, Daenerys is **_not_** invincible and she does have weaknesses and limitations. Those being that if she hasn't fed in a while, she's going to have the same frailty that humans have. She's not perfect and can't concentrate her telekinetic powers all the time. Even those abilities have limitations.

This character is, essentially, a human learning to be more than human on the fly and she's pretty badass at times. Others, she has no idea what she's doing and is making it up as she goes along. She knows that she's not the most important person in the room but she also knows that her job is, for whatever reason, to endure heartbreaking and excruciating physical and emotional trials. The point of her going through all of these things will become clear in the final chapters of this story (which is going to be a long-ass story. And probably the first fanfic I'll finish that isn't a song fic) when we finally get to see the full picture.

Now, fair warning: This fanfic may go all the way to season 7 of _Buffy_ and things are going to start changing in how our favorite Slayer gets into and out of things. So far, Daenerys has been pretty content to stay out of the mainstream of the events taking place whenever she was around, primarily because the last time she was in her 'home' universe, she was heavily pregnant with triplets and didn't want to get too deep into trouble for obvious reasons. Now that she's got that burden out of the way, she's more likely to get directly involved with things and perhaps, change the course of events.

Also, my updates aren't going to be every few days as some of you enjoyed when this first started. I'll be starting a new job in a couple of weeks and I've been trying to get into acting in some plays, so I'll be writing and updating when I have the time outside of those activities. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter. It's a bit short, and I've got some things I want to work out in the following chapters since I made some changes to this one, so patience is important here! Thanks!

Chapter 29

I decided to accompany Willow to see Rupert when she suggested he might know what the hell was going on. I glanced wearily at Angel. It seems that in my absence, he'd become integrated with the group and they knew he was a vampire now. In turn, they had filled him in on my inhuman status as well. He and I didn't really like each other, that was for sure. When he'd seen me in the kitchen, he pulled me aside and told me that he noticed a very specific change in me. My luminous skin and slightly pointed ears concerned him.

"I'm fine. I will explain it when this is over. There are more important things happening now than my skin."

He had nodded but given me a very narrow-eyed look before I left with Willow, or rather her ghost. It had been alarming to see her walk through walls and unable to interact with the world aside from talking to people. We rushed through the streets and the chaos around us, me defending against attacks by using my power to throw attackers backwards instead of lopping off heads and limbs as I was used to doing. I felt guilty when Rupert jumped at the sight of me.

"Danni!" he breathed and came to hug me. I briefly hugged him back and then let go. He turned to Willow, whom he'd not seen enter. "Willow? What are you wearing?"

"It's not important, Giles! Something very strange is happening out there. People are turning into their costumes. Buffy was dressed like a Victorian woman and now she is one, Xander was a soldier and now he really is a soldier," the red head was rambling.

"And what did you go as?" he looked very confused.

"I was a ghost and now I _am_ a ghost," she whimpered slightly.

"The ghost of what, exactly?" he asked.

"Don't ask, Rupert. She wouldn't even tell me," I said as I kept a watchful eye. He gave me a meaningful look that said 'I still have things I want to say to _you_.'

"So, I am to believe that you have become a ghost?" the Watcher seemed slightly amused at this concept. Then again, Willow had followed me through the library doors when they'd swung open. She had originally wanted to go through the wall directly to him but I told her that it might not be a good idea. Too much chance that he'd be too startled. Though, come to think of it, I might have been able to crack a smile if he'd tossed the books he'd been carrying to the table from surprise. Even thinking of smiling was painful for me at this moment. I pushed aside my grief again and focused on the moment.

"Willow, show him," I gestured towards my office. She shrugged and then walked directly through the counter into my office and then back again. Rupert's face drained of color and he slowly took his glasses off to polish the lenses in an absent-minded way.

"Good lord," he murmured. He glanced at me sharply, seeming to notice a difference in my appearance that he'd overlooked earlier. "And did you change as well…?"

"We'll talk about that later. I'm still me."

"Quite," he raised a brow.

"Giles, what is going on? I mean, Buffy isn't Buffy right now! What can we do to fix this?" Willow brought the attention back to herself as she paced worriedly.

"We're going to have to do some research. Whatever is going on is a very powerful mystical convergence or something of that order, I'm sure. Danni, please start with these books," Rupert instructed as he picked up one of the books he had locked in the cage. It was thick, leather and musty. The scent was comforting in its own way to my frazzled and tightly strung nerves. He pulled out another book and opened it to a particular section before setting it in front of Willow. She immediately began to read over the page intently, wringing her fingers and stepping from one foot to the other nervously.

My book was in Latin and I was skimming over the words as quickly as I could to find something that would give us a hint as to what was happening. For the next two hours, I helped Willow by turning the page for her when she motioned for it and comforted her while she babbled about bits that were a little graphic in the imagery. Neither of us found anything of use. Rupert was coming up empty and was becoming more frustrated by the moment from the glances I threw his way. Thankfully, nothing had thought to attack the school or enter the library so far. I was on my third book when Rupert slammed the cover of his most recent tome and rushed back into the cage for another book to read.

"I don't have any clues. Willow? Danni? Have you two found anything yet?" he asked as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Nothing. What are we going to do?" the redhead asked. She'd seemingly forgotten her fearful modesty since we'd begun to look for answers and was scratching at an itchy part of her exposed midriff absently. Rupert's ears turned a little red as he turned away.

"I don't know. I can't see any prophecies that would explain this… Willow, is there nothing you can do to cover up? It's just so strange to see you so… bare," he asked uncomfortably.

"Hey, I didn't ask for this. You should have seen Cordelia! She was dressed up in a leotard with cat things on it!" the normally shy girl retorted, though she somehow managed to blush as she placed her hands on her hips. It was righteous indignation that she had painted on her face.

"Good lord, and she actually became a feline?" the Watcher asked with horrified fascination. At this, Willow and I both stopped and looked at each other curiously. She gave voice to the very thoughts that I was having.

"No. She was just Cordelia in a cat costume. She was still human, just scared and dressed up."

"Where did she get her costume?" he asked with a frown.

"Party Town."

"And you all got your costumes from there?" he pressed. There was something in his eye that told me he had a theory and I was leaning in to hear Willow's answer just as eagerly as he was. Rupert's face was inscrutable as he focused on her.

"No. No, we all went to the new place in town. Ethan's."

The term 'if looks could kill' ran through my head as I saw the expression change on my friend's face. The usually sweet, proper and somewhat bumbling Watcher and librarian seemed to morph into this forbidding and darker version that exuded confidence and danger. His eyes were narrowed and if thunder had a face, his would be the mirror of it.

"Willow, go find the others. Try to keep them calm and make sure that they know to stay put."

"Well, Angel was there, so I'm sure he'll keep them safe," she supplied but I could see that she was somewhat unsure of this new man before her. I remained silent as she caught a withering look and then nodded before running through the wall in the direction of Buffy's house.

"I'll go with her," I said quietly. Whatever Rupert had figured out or discovered from Willow's revelation was something I could see he needed to do on his own. _Besides,_ I reasoned, _Buffy is completely vulnerable and having my swords in hand to keep her safe is more important. He'd tell me if he needed help. Right?_

Rupert nodded as he gathered his keys and strode out of the library with purpose in every stride. I darted out after him, running out of the school in the direction of the Slayer. I was slightly confused as I saw her dart out into the street and head for the warehouses. Her face was filled with terror and the dark hair from her wig was streaming behind her. She had the frightfully bright pink skirts gathered in her hands so she didn't trip and fall. Behind her, Xander, Cordelia, Angel and Willow followed. I took off in a run after them. I could hear Xander's gun going off and saw more child-sized demons scattering out of his way.

As houses and buildings passed me by, I became aware of that man I'd seen. He was still staring at me as he walked casually along the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. He easily sidestepped and dodged any demons that approached him. It wasn't long before he was out of my sight and I came to the warehouse I could hear Angel and the others shouting from. A ball of tension filled my gut as I pulled my swords and stepped inside.

A vampire with gelled back platinum blond hair, dark eyebrows and a feral grin as he backhanded the simpering nitwit that had been a Slayer is what greeted my eyes. He turned and gave me a dismissive look before turning back to Buffy and forcing her to lay back on some sturdy boxes, gripping her dark hair and leaning in to bite the struggling girl. He was savoring the meal to come. My eyes narrowed and the vampire that took a step towards me, I determined from his scent that he was the genuine article before I neatly beheaded him.

At the same moment that he burst into dust, I felt rather than saw the change in the small demons before us. They were suddenly just frightened children. And the confusion on the blond vampire's face as he pulled back from the cowering girl on the boxes with a dark wig gave me some satisfaction. Buffy sat up, looking wholly as a Vampire Slayer should, and grinned.

"Hi honey. I'm home," she quipped as she proceeded to beat the crap out of the vampire before her. I took the opportunity to impale one of his goons on my swords before using them in a scissoring motion to cut his head off. I felt a rough push from behind and stumbled forward into Angel, who'd dispensed with his own goon, and heard a growl rush past me. I looked behind to see the blond vampire snarling as he ran away.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked wearily as I righted myself, shrugging off Angel's steadying hand. The children looked frightened and confused, Willow was no longer with us, Xander was looking at the toy gun in his hand with incredulity and Cordelia was… Well, being Cordelia. She tried her best to saunter over to Angel, but to me it just looked ridiculous… and desperate. I stepped away, ignoring the glare he threw at me and narrowed gaze at my appearance. The fact that I still had slightly glowing skin and slightly more pointed ears was unnerving to him, I would guess. He probably expected that it was part of whatever spell was used and should have disappeared by now. I knew it wouldn't.

"I'm good. Much better than good, actually. Peachy with a side of keen," Buffy grinned as she held two of the kids to her sides as they clung to her. A few of them approached me as I sheathed my swords and grabbed my hands for comfort and guidance. I sighed tiredly. This was going to be a mess and a half to explain.

* * *

Once we'd gotten the group of kids we had with us back to the school and Willow rejoined us, sans the white sheet with 'boo!' written on it from my understanding, we all started looking for the rest of the children from the trick-or-treat groups that had been out. I got to meet Principle Snyder. He was, as I'd heard and finally confirmed, a nasty little troll. _No, sorry,_ I thought to myself crudely as I helped another little boy locate his parents. _That would be insulting to the trolls in Mordor and all of Middle Earth. He's worse than that._

"So you're Daenerys Wolfe," the squat man with rather large ears and male-pattern baldness sneered at me. "You have been quite a drain on our resources, what with your consistent absence."

"You must be Principle Snyder. I've heard about you," I replied coolly. "I've been telling Rupert that I'd like to get back to work in the next few weeks. I'll send you an official notice of the exact date, of course."

"And what exactly, if you don't mind, have you heard?" I could almost see steam coming out of his ears at this.

"That you're here to clean up the school of all the useless and lazy students by enforcing mandatory extracurricular activities." He paused and gave me a careful glare before straightening up and nodding, almost to himself.

"At least they got something right," he muttered before turning to me with a critical eye. "Make no mistake, Mrs. Wolfe. I've got my eye on you. Once you come back, I'll accept no absences that aren't medical emergencies. Understand?"

 _At the rate that people die and are maimed around here, I don't foresee this being a problem,_ I thought as I nodded. He gave a curious, if not dubious, look at my ears before shaking his head as he passed by, barking out orders to a young man who was helping a couple more kids find their parents. The children and their mothers and fathers were all grateful to be reunited. No doubt there were already rumors going around that there'd been a gas leak in the mains and there had been shared delusions that contributed to the strange behavior they'd seen.

I found myself staring across the crowd at the approaching man in the dark suit. He did not come much closer than he was, staying across the street from the school. He stared at me and I felt unnerved. There was something about him that made my spine become rigid. I stared back at him with a frown, wondering if I should approach him and demand answers. A hand delicately tapped my shoulder and I spun around, tense and ready to strike.

Willow looked startled at the look on my face and stepped back. I relaxed as much as I could and tried to give her a smile. I'm sure it looked more like a tense grimace.

"Danni, we're meeting in the library and we all kind of wanted to see you, if you aren't busy. Not that you aren't busy! You must be very busy! I mean, you just got back and all and…" she began to babble and I smiled genuinely then. Placing a finger to her lips and nodded and she seemed to relax. With a glance over my shoulder at the strange man, I followed the teenager back to the school. He watched my progress without blinking.

Once we were in the library, I noticed that all the Slayerettes were there. Including Jenny Calendar, which was a mild surprise. Xander had already raided the vending machines and had a small stack of munchies on the main table, of which Buffy and Cordelia had already claimed a bag of chips and a bottle of water respectively. Xander was eating one of those massive honey buns and it looked like he was nearly finished with it. Angel and Rupert were having a rather serious conversation that I caught snippets of over the barbs and quips that were being exchanged between the Zeppo and the snobby little cheerleader. Buffy seemed amused and popped a chip in her mouth as the discussion became more and more heated.

Rupert stopped when he saw me and strode forward. The dangerous man was gone and had returned the proper, slightly flustered Brit before me. I was surprised when he enveloped me in a hug. Everyone got quiet as he stepped back and pulled me forward towards the group. I guessed then that I had let my morose feelings show through, that deep depression that I'd pushed back when things had gotten tense rebounded so quickly that I felt buried underneath them. Buffy, no longer clad in her costume but wearing a spare set of sweats that she liked to keep in the library for training, stepped up to me and puffed out to her full stature of 5'2" as she gazed into my eyes. I couldn't have told you what emotions were swirling in the Slayer's blue eyes.

I was surprised when she wrapped me in a gentle embrace, followed by Xander, Willow and even Cordelia, though I wasn't sure she knew _why_ she was hugging me. Rupert kept a hand on my shoulder and I think, with this support I'd not even known I'd had around me, I finally allowed myself to feel. To really _feel_ the pain of being severed from my mate, the pain of being lost in this strange quest I'd not wanted any part of, the pain of being forced to endure so much more than anyone should ever have to. Buffy tightened her arms around me slightly and I realized that broken sobs were leaving me; that my legs had given out under the weight of my grief. We sank to the floor and I curled up into her lap.

The weight of all I'd suffered had been bearable when I was with Thranduil. I'd had his love and his understanding. Those nights before we'd first bonded, when we'd just talked for hours, I'd told him everything there was to know about me. Our relationship had not begun normally, not even for an Elf. He'd confessed the feelings he'd started having for me in Imladris, how he'd thought of me so much in the years that followed. How he admired my spirit, my audacity to speak out of turn. He fell in love with me completely, he'd once said, during those weeks where we talked.

The stirrings of love had begun in the days after I'd taken that spear for him, he would recall, and had grown when he saw how strong willed I was just before Mithrandir stopped me from returning to Sunnydale. He'd marveled at my restraint later, after I'd nearly killed him in the moments that followed the Wizard's intervention. He told me he'd been impressed and admired my taking the stance to protect the family I'd adopted in Laketown and Dale. I felt like the hole in my chest got bigger as I thought on the nights when we would talk for hours after our lovemaking.

 _Was it really less than a day ago?_ I wondered to myself. The tiny Slayer had started rocking me back and forth. I could scarcely believe that this girl, who wasn't even sixteen yet, was comforting me as if _I_ were the child. I realized that while I'd been outside helping the staff to finish returning children to their parents that Rupert must have told them what happened. It was the only explanation for this reception. I suddenly hated myself for having been so emotional around everyone. As my body wept, my mind raged an internal war, trying to figure out if I should just get up and leave or if I should remain and accept this new level to the relationship I had with these people. I hadn't seen them in nearly a millennium but for them it had been only a few months.

I heard three sets of footsteps receding and didn't bother to see who it was. I knew one of them was probably Cordelia because she had let go just before we'd gotten to the ground. Xander and Willow were still holding onto me, and I could hear all three of them talking to me in turn, telling me that I would be all right and they would help me through this. Eventually, as my sobs quieted, Xander and Willow let go and the library only held the Slayer, the Watcher and I. I didn't wonder at how long I'd sat there crying for. It felt like an eternity. Buffy had started running her hand over my head, over and over. My circlet never budged during this comforting gesture.

"Danni," the blonde started softly and I could feel her chest vibrate as she spoke. "Giles told us what happened."

I pulled away from her and stared back. I didn't have the voice to speak. My grief weighed on me, closing my throat and constricting my heart.

"Now, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you what I think you want to hear. I'll tell you what you _need_ to hear. We love you. I know it didn't seem that way when you… left… but we do love you. You're our friend and we lost sight of that for a little while. Giles says that you got to see the triplets and Lucian again in that other… world… place… thingy," she had a slight frown on her face as she tried to figure out the right words. She shook her head after a second and continued, "He said that he and the kids were safe, right?"

I nodded minutely. She continued further, "That's what matters, then. Now, I don't know how to bring them here but I'm going to help do the research to bring the people you love back to you and I won't stop until I have the answers. You've helped us so many times, tonight included, and never asked for anything. You deserve to have your happiness."

I let out a mirthless laugh and shook my head at that as I slowly trudged to my feet. The frown of confusion on Buffy's and Rupert's faces as they looked between each other was met by a shake of my head.

"You can't bring them here," I retorted.

"Danni, we can try to –" Rupert started gently.

"You can't!" I cried. I shook my head as I backed away from them, knowing that what I was about to say would anger and horrify them. "I already did all the research you're talking about. For me, it was hundreds of years ago. For you, it was only months."

I began walking over to the doors of the library and stopped. They were in stunned silence. "I wonder, how do you think Lucian came to be here?" My posture was rigid as I turned to look at them. "He didn't just appear at my whim. I did the research you're talking about. I _know_ what is required to bring them here but the price is too high. And I can tell you with absolute _certainty_ that none of them would have me do that again on their behalf."

"Do what?" Rupert questioned quietly. Buffy's eyes were darting between her mentor and me. I looked at him and took a measured breath.

"Why don't you go find out?" I countered. I wiped the tears that were still drying on my face away as I went through the doors.

* * *

It was a solemn and quiet walk back to the apartment I had shared with Lucian. Stooping to loosen the brick on the left side of the door, I pulled out the spare key I'd insisted we have and unlocked the door. My eyes settled on the children's toys that littered the place. The hole in my chest cracked around the edges. The grief that I'd displayed in front of the Slayerettes returned tenfold and with a gasp, I closed the apartment door and sank down to the floor. I didn't cry this time but I felt like all the air had been pushed from my lungs.

I leaned against the door for what seemed like hours. I didn't want to get up, I didn't want to change my clothes. I just wished with a fervor that a black hole would open up, suck me in and that I would return to Arda. To Thranduil. To the other half of my soul.

Once I had the strength to leave that spot, I found myself slowly and carefully disrobing in the bedroom I'd once shared with the father of my eldest children. I tried to imagine what this place would be like with Thranduil in it and immediately knew that his grand stature would make the whole place seem tiny. Trying to imagine him folded into one of the kitchen chairs or lounging on the bed brought a bitter smile to my face.

I carefully hung up the clothes and let my fingers linger over the soft, familiar material. My circlet was treated with even more respect. I carefully wrapped it in one of the scarves I had in the back of my closet and hid it in a little cubby I'd found when we first got the place. It was something I'd kept to myself from Lucian at the time, though I wasn't sure why I did. Carefully replacing the bricks, I turned to the twin swords I'd carried for so long. I'd leaned them both against the dresser but now I didn't have the heart to move them. Sighing, I headed to the bathroom and decided to take a shower.

The hot spray of water almost startled me. I'd been used to bathing in the warm pools of Eryn Lasgalen, specifically the one that was next to our bed chambers. It was one of the hottest and was warmed by natural geothermal vents. As I showered, my eyes drifted closed and memories of the last time I'd bathed there in Thranduil's arms came to mind. Although Elves normally would lose interest in sex and physical pleasures as they got older, Thranduil's desire for me had remained consistent. He told me that he felt it was because I was not entirely of the Eldar that his desire matched mine. I had teased him then, told him that it was because he couldn't keep his hands off of my sexy body.

I hadn't realized that my fingers had drifted down to my more sensitive areas until the pleasure at the moments following that memory surged through me. I remembered the pressure of his fingers on my hips as he pulled me to him in the bathing pool, his tongue lapping at my breasts. His talented fingers curling inside of me, finding places to pleasure. The passion in his eyes as he flipped me to my belly on the edge of the pool and took me from behind, which was rare for us.

The splashing of hot water upon my back as his thrusts caused it to spray, the memory of his arms pulling me back against his body and the feel of his lean muscles moving against me. I remembered his movements had been slow and nearly tormenting at first and then had become frantic and demanding as he kept me in that position. He'd managed to find my lips and crushed them to his when his release was upon him. He hadn't stopped even then.

I'd had my release once already by then and was nearly exhausted. He wasn't going to stop until he'd given me one more orgasm. I moaned as I recalled how he carried me out of the hot water, how he thrust back inside of me as soon as he had me positioned laying down on the edge of the table that held our towels. He'd taken a little bit of the oil I used as a moisturizer and rubbed it on his thumb before kneading it onto the sensitive nub that he often teased and tasted with his tongue. He thrust into me slowly and lazily for a while, whispering to me how he planned to do things like this to me for all eternity. His eyes had held such desire and passion that I could scarcely hold onto my breath. When he was nearing his second climax, he gripped my hips more firmly. I was crying out with every slap of his flesh against mine. It was his coy chuckle as he found his second release that drove me to mine, my thighs tightening around his hips and the tremble in my arms as I struggled to regain composure. I let those memories take me over the edge I was teetering on.

The relief from my heartache was temporary. I had the unique ability to lose myself in memory, reliving the best or worst moments as though I was right there. It had come along after I'd become more like the Elves and discovered that it was a common ability among their people. I let the grief wrap around me again like a fine cloak as I turned off the hot water and climbed out of the shower. I took a moment to realize how strange it was that my utilities were still on and that the apartment hadn't been claimed yet. I wondered if Rupert had been taking care of these things for me in my absence.

I dressed in the few clothes I had that would fit. Most of what was in the closet were maternity clothes and I had little else. The rest of the day was spent staring out the window quietly as I tried to process my situation. When night fell, I grabbed my belt and swords and swiftly attached them to me. I was antsy and itching for something to do. Before leaving the apartment, I glanced at my reflection.

My long hair hung behind me without anything to bind it. The curls were more like waves due to the weight of the length. I wore a tight blue tank top underneath a looser t-shirt that was of a lighter blue color. One of the few pairs of jeans I had in this size hugged my hips and flared slightly and the calves. I wore no makeup. Hundreds of years without it had driven the need from me. Although I had no need for it, I pulled a trench-style coat from the closet to hide the swords. I knew I would prefer these to the two I'd carried here before.

I let my senses go and listened for trouble, scented for demons and vampires in the area. I was ready to take something down. I needed an outlet for my grief other than just crying like a little girl. The night was busy, to say the least. Demons and vampires were out in force because they'd mostly stayed inside for Halloween. I remembered reading in one of Rupert's books before I'd left that Halloween was dead for the dead and demonic. Tonight was no such night. I killed some kind of creature that looked like a centipede had crossed with Cousin It. I left the carcass inside the tree line of the park. There were three vampires that thought I'd be easy prey but I dusted them quickly. I didn't even bother to use my abilities. I needed the physical exertion.

My swords whistled through the air several more times that night. I was a killing machine. When I went home, I drafted my letter to Principle Snyder six times before I felt comfortable with it. I ignored all the phone calls I had received from Rupert. Over the next two weeks, he came to the door multiple times, sometimes alone and at others with Buffy or Willow or Xander. I didn't listen to their pleas to let them in or even glance out the window to look at them.

When it came time for me to return to the library at the school, I barely looked at Rupert when I came in. I was hurt and angry, mostly at myself. I only answered direct questions for the most part and he tried, as much as he could, to engage me in conversation but I was too depressed. I helped with research and did what was asked of me when they needed help but I was becoming withdrawn. Vaguely, I realized that this is what Lucian had done, in part, when he lost Sonja. He went into his own world of pain and suffering. I'd met him then, during that time of his greatest grief. He'd been mostly cold towards me for the first hundred years, only showing his more generous and tender side when he was showing me how to be a Lycan. It took him time to warm up to me as a friend.

Days and weeks passed by with my barely participating in anything of importance. It had taken a few weeks but the others had finally stopped trying to overtly include me in anything. I would go out at night and kill at least two vampires a night as a stress relief. I had the distinct displeasure of meeting the blond vampire that I'd glimpsed on Halloween. British, overly confident and lanky was what I would describe Spike as. He tried to get the jump on me one evening as I walked the streets. He must have figured that killing one of the friends of the Slayer would be easy. He was sorely mistaken. I nearly took his head off but he managed to dodge my swing. I was hit from behind before I could pursue him further and managed to kill another vampire that had decided to join the fight.

Some of the things that occurred in the weeks leading up to that particular meeting had been… less than ideal. Buffy's friend from a former school, Billy "Ford" Fordham, had come to the school claiming to be a new student. After meeting him, I barely gave him another thought. When Willow came to tell me that he'd been killed after trying to cut a deal with Spike to become immortal and had betrayed Buffy to do it, I just nodded and went back to the paperwork in front of me. Shortly after that, the police came to the school looking for Rupert to identify a body that had his name and address found on it. I told them they could wait for him with me, if they wanted. Discovering that the Watcher had a wild side growing up was a surprise to me, especially knowing that he had screwed around with magic and demons as a teenager. I just couldn't picture it. Angel swooped in to save the day on that one, absorbing the demon from Jenny Calendar and letting his own demon fight it out.

I generally stayed away from the Slayerettes, whom were also calling themselves the Scoobies now, because I was tired of getting close to people. I couldn't stand the thought of coming to care about them again and then losing them.

Until Buffy came to me with a haunted look on her face. I'd kept tabs on the situation that was brewing the last couple of days but hadn't really gotten involved as of yet. Buffy had recently discovered that there was a second Vampire Slayer in the world named Kendra. She'd been activated when the blonde had drowned at the Master's hand. This revelation came about because three bounty hunters had come to Sunnydale at Spike's request. They were to kill the Slayer and capture Angel to bring Drusilla, Spike's insane lover (who was quite creepy, from what I understood) back to her full strength through some ancient ritual. My head ached just with thinking about all of that. They managed to save Angel before the ritual could kill him. I didn't even want to think about the Ted thing. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. Robots. Freaky. Enough said. And the egg demon? Not touching that one either.

My thoughts ran back to the blonde that was sitting quietly in my kitchen. I was briefly surprised that she had come to me. Buffy's arms were wrapped tightly around her middle and she had a spaced-out look that dominated her face. Her eyes stared over my shoulder at something I couldn't even begin to guess at. It was a look that I knew well. It was the same look that occupied my face most days, when I felt like I couldn't move or breathe.

"Why did this happen?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were unfocused. When she'd first sat down, I thought she was concerned about the Judge. Yesterday, she and Angel had gone out to do some recon and see how far they were to assembling the nearly indestructible demon. They'd been discovered and barely escaped with their lives. At least, that was the story that I'd been told.

"He lost his soul." She looked at me now, eyes focused strongly on mine now. Her face twisted in confusion and hurt.

"He disappeared for a while. I've been having dreams that Drusilla killed him right in front of me… I didn't know what to think when he… We… We…" she looked distinctly uncomfortable saying the next part. She'd continued speaking as though I hadn't said anything.

"You made love."

"Yeah… And I went by his place to see if he'd been by there and I was so happy to see him. And he was so mean… The things that he said…" She wrapped her arms around herself even more tightly. For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to feel something other than the pain that gripped my own heart. I felt sympathy. "He went after Willow. My friends…" She looked me deeply in the eye now. "He'll come after you."

"He knows he won't survive if he goes against me. He's seen what I can do."

"I just don't know what I should do…" Buffy fingered a ring I hadn't noticed before. It was silver and had two hands holding a heart with a crown on it. A Claddagh ring. I moved to the chair next to her and pulled it close to her. She turned and wrapped her arms around me before I could say anything. I was about to ask her a question but she seemed to know what was on my mind before I could voice it. Her voice was breaking and came out in a whisper. "You're the only one who might even begin to understand what I'm going through."

I was silent as I returned her hug. She stared at the ring and began to sob into my shirt. I led her to my couch and we sat there while she cried. I observed the room, trying to be impassive. The apartment had been stripped of the children's toys and the clothes. I'd given them away to the local thrift stores. All that remained were some of the portraits that Lucian had taken of them as a family. I was pleasantly surprised to see at least one where he was dressed nicely (for him, anyway) with all three of our children together. When I realized that the crying had stopped and that she had fallen asleep. I placed a pillow under her head and pulled a blanket over her before I headed to bed.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to any of the mentioned published works, films, television series, etc. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **_Warning:_** **This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.**

Chapter 30

I awoke to the front door slamming and looked around with bleary eyes. The clock on my dresser told me that it was very, _very_ early. Groaning, I stepped out of bed and stumbled into the living room. Buffy was gone, the blanket tossed to the floor in what looked like a flurry of motion. The front door was closed but not locked. She'd rushed out in quite a hurry. I shrugged. Today was a day off for me, so it wasn't like I was needed anywhere. I was confident that if the young woman needed more comfort, she'd seek it out again.

Making breakfast was easy. Bacon and a spinach omelet. No more blood in the fridge. Only real food. I fed only when wounded these days. Thranduil had allowed me to feed from him fairly often, not just because he wanted me to be strong and safe but for other reasons, too. Oddly enough, he explained that my bite actually brought him pleasure. It made no sense to either of us but we thought it was an unspoken gift of Eru, for what was the point in being able to feed from the one I loved if it caused him suffering? My heart clenched. _If you think about it, it'll hurt more. Pretend it isn't happening. Pretend your heart is still whole,_ I reminded myself.

It was the only way to get through the pain that would have crippled lesser beings. I'd been bound to Thranduil from the first night we shared in each other's touch but the bond had become much stronger after the blessing of our union by Eru. We'd been able to sense each other's moods after a while, even when the other was not in the room. He'd sense my irritation in the middle of official proceedings if I were out in the woods hunting Spiders and I'd feel his boredom when dealing with the lesser problems of the Men of the rebuilt Lake Town, especially when it came to minor trade details.

Shaking my head as I finished the small meal, I turned towards the intentions I'd had for the day. Researching how to defeat the Judge had turned up little else than the simple mantra we'd all become adept at repeating: no weapon forged could kill him, it took an army to bring him down. It was maddening to realize that we might be in a no-win situation. I dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and pants before heading out to the van. I drove to the school and headed for the library directly. I was passing by the computer lab when all the students rushed out, casting alarmed looks over their shoulders. The sight that greeted me was of Buffy, Rupert and Jenny with the last one having a rougher look about her as she straightened up from where the Slayer had slammed her down on the desk.

Buffy must have gone home to change because the clothes she wore were not the same. The computer teacher cast a pleading look my way and I just gave a confused but apathetic shrug. She was someone who made my friend happy but I didn't really know her. I'd had little interest or time to speak with her since my return.

"Start talking," the blonde demanded with narrowed eyes. Rupert's face told me that he was hopelessly confused.

"I was only told to keep you two apart," the brunette started slowly.

"You knew this would happen?" Buffy's voice was slightly louder, angrier. Jenny cringed and glanced at the Watcher. His eyes had suddenly become fastened to her and his posture was rigid. The tension was coming off in waves.

"I didn't know what would happen, only that you two had to be separated," she admitted. "I was sent here to watch you. Both of you. No one told me…"

"So, it's true… I did this." There was no room for error in the words. Buffy's face crumbled slightly at the realization, the admission.

"Yes."

"Buffy, I don't understand. How could this be your fault? Jenny?" Rupert finally spoke.

"Angel was meant to suffer for all time for what he did to my people. His punishment was his soul. But the soul is meant to be plaguing his thoughts at all times. If he was to experience one moment, even a second where his soul and his torment were not on his mind, one moment of true happiness where he forgets his suffering…"

"But, how could this have been Buffy's fault…?" Rupert asked again and the question died as he looked at the shameful, pained expression on the Slayer's face as she looked him in the eye. He took his glasses off and took a step back, having the decency to look away in embarrassment as he worked it out. "Oh… I see."

"Curse him again," came the demand. Buffy's face was stony and hopeful at the same time. I felt like I was watching a tennis match with how my eyes kept bouncing between the two of them.

"I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" was the angry, quiet voice that came from the Watcher.

"Those magicks are long lost, even to my people." Jenny's voice didn't even waver but her expression wore the hurt she was feeling easily. "There's no one alive who could perform the ritual. But… I think I might know someone who can help."

The trio turned and it was the first time that either Slayer or Watcher seemed to notice me and looked surprised to see me there. "Danni, how long have you been standing there?" Rupert asked as he stepped forward. He gave me an appraising look that spoke volumes of how little he expected to see me today.

"Long enough. You guys do what you have to do, I'm going to the library. I'm going to see if there's anything I can do there to help. You know where to reach me if you need me," my voice was even and revealed nothing. I had no right to be angry about Jenny not talking about her past or her knowledge. I've done the same since I got here. After Rupert had figured out that I'd killed people to bring Lucian here, he'd been rather quiet around me. Buffy had generally disliked my presence unless it was helpful but had been somewhat understanding that for me, it had been centuries. I wasn't likely to do anything like that ever again.

I ignored them as they turned to leave. I reached my office in no time at all. Snyder was there, the sniveling weasel-faced goblin nosing about my personal items that were on the desk. I sighed. He knew today was my day off, so he probably decided to go snooping for a reason to fire me. He didn't like that I had kept my job. He was about to pick up the picture of my infant children with Lucian that I'd found and framed when I snatched it out of his reach.

"Miss Wolfe. I don't recall today being one of your work days," he sneered. "Tell me, I heard a little rumor. I heard that your husband and children are missing. I find it strange that you haven't said a word or even gone looking for them."

I wanted to ram my fist into his chest and rip out his beating heart, if I could find it. I wasn't sure that this thing, this _creature_ before me was even human or had that particular organ. Instead, I let the appropriate amount of grief enter my expression and moved a hand to cover my mouth. The squat little bastard looked uncomfortable and his eyes shifted longingly to the office door that I was currently blocking.

"Yes, they've gone. I have some documents he left on my pillow. He had our marriage annulled. He left while I was at a doctor's appointment and didn't even tell me he was planning to leave. He took our children and I haven't been able to find them. I've hired private investigators, I've called his family in England. No one knows where they are. It's something that I've been trying to deal with in private but... but…" I started in on the crocodile tears now, sniffling and letting wet drops slide down my cheeks. "I just don't know what to do! So, I've been coming in on my days off to get ahead on the paperwork! To make sure that every book is filed and every sheet collated! It's the only way to stay sane."

Snyder had a distinct look of disgust on his face and he stepped around me like I was infested with the plague. He hadn't expected this reaction and clearly wasn't prepared for it. "I see. In that case, please… Continue your work. But don't expect to be paid overtime, understand?" he cleared his throat and gave me a stern, calculating look. I nodded my head and sniffled pitifully. I kept up the act until he was out of earshot.

"Twat," I muttered as I put things back in their proper places. Time to research the hell out of this thing. Again.

* * *

Hearing Xander's plan was one thing. Seeing that plan be put into action had given me a newfound respect for the dark-haired boy. He was smarter than he wanted people to know. I could understand that. I had come along with the Slayerettes with the express intent of helping to defeat the Judge. I realized that I kind of loved how Xander's mind had worked on this particular problem. A bazooka. Xander's genius and childish imagination was really all the weapon we needed to defeat the giant, ugly smurf. It was a matter of collecting and separating the pieces that we needed to really concern ourselves with. I'd suggested driving to construction sites in Los Angeles to dump a couple pieces.

Rupert had gleefully (and it was odd putting that word to his demeanor) suggested mailing a dozen or so to the Watcher's Council for safekeeping. Willow had asked if we should dip some pieces into molten metal, let them harden and then drop the Judge Nuggets into the ocean, specifically into the deepest trenches on the planet. I could only grin at how creative she was with the nickname. _Judge Nuggets_. That sounded like the name for some kind of meal at a themed restaurant.

Buffy wasn't nearly as cheerful about this win. She had decided to confide in me about her more private dealings with Angel, or Angelus as he truly was called. He'd touched on a very basic fact. Rubbed it in her face, really. She couldn't kill him. Yet. I had no advice for her on this matter. I was in a similar boat. Derrik's appearance in Middle Earth and the discovery that he'd gone mad had shaken me to the core and now Buffy seemed to be living with a similar situation, except her former lover wasn't coming back hundreds of years later. This was a fresh break-up, if it could be called that, and fresh revenge. This wasn't going to be something that took years to come and bite her in the ass. It was happening now.

I sat across from the tiny slayer in my apartment. I held a cup of coffee between my hands while she fingered the tab on the can of soda she'd barely touched. "Is it strange for me to say that I know how you feel?" I asked softly. She looked at me with startled blue eyes.

"What?" Buffy was clearly in her own little world.

"I was just asking if it's weird that I know how you feel."

"Losing the one you love because you're pulled away from him is different," she replied with a slight scowl on her face, her eyes returning to the soda.

"No, I mean I _know_ how you feel. Derrik, the guy that came after Lucian and the kids? He was my lover a long, _long_ time ago. Before I started jumping between worlds. He was the last lover I had before this whole thing started," I told her, taking a sip from my cup. Her eyes snapped back to me with sudden interest.

"You never told me this."

"Never needed to before."

She was silent for a moment, her eyes carefully considering me. "What happened?"

"Before I got sucked into this… thing… Derrik and I had been together for a little while. He had started going off his rocker in the weeks before. I found out he'd screwed around while we were together. He was paranoid about _me_ cheating on _him_. So paranoid, in fact, that I got fired from a job because he came after my boss. I broke it off permanently when he hit me." I paused to take a long drink from my cup. Buffy watched me with avid interest. "He knew that I had certain rules in dating. Number one is that I don't _ever_ tolerate it if I get hit. It's a one-and-done deal. You hit me once, you never see me again. He'd started stalking me just before I 'left'. It was disturbing how he was acting. He told people that I was his."

I drained the cup and Buffy was still watching me silently. "While I was in the world I just returned from… Middle Earth… Arda… He came after me and the group I was traveling with. He'd planned on killing them to get to me. I convinced him to let them go. While we fought, he told me that I was still his. He was _insane._ He was given the ability to go to the worlds I went to so that he could kill me but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to _own_ me. He was going to make me watch while he killed my soulmate… My Thranduil," my voice broke at my husband's name. The hole where my heart was meant to be burned and throbbed. I took a moment to swallow down the pain that accompanied thoughts of my other half.

"What happened?" the question was quiet.

"I fought him off but I couldn't kill him. I wasn't strong enough. He was pulled to another world before I could hurt him enough and I nearly died. He tried to rip out my heart with his bare hands, you see. He'd been in at least one of the worlds I'd been in. He was a Lycan or a Lycan Hybrid of some kind. Derrik had seriously wounded me and I'd been without feeding on blood for weeks. I must have been thinking about Thranduil on some level because I found myself in the forest of our kingdom. Our people found me and I was dying in his arms," my voice had taken on the quality it usually did when I lost myself in memories. "I told him that I loved him. He offered his blood to me and I was terrified that I'd kill him if I tasted even one drop. He forced me to drink from him, begged me. I couldn't say no to him. So I fed on him, just a few mouthfuls to get my body healing properly."

I was lost in thought now. I remembered the bright light that I had floated in, of being within the presence of the creator of that world, of Eru. I'd heard his first boon but the second was still elusive to me. It had frustrated me to no end that I hadn't heard what the other gift was meant to be.

"Daenerys?"

"What?" I looked at her in surprise.

"Thranduil?"

"Oh, yes." I shook my head to clear it. "His blood was so powerful that just a few mouthfuls saved my life and put me into a healing sleep for three weeks. During that time, the creator of that world contacted me in my sleep. Because I had resisted feeding from his most precious children, the Elves, and only took what was offered and as little of it as I could, he blessed my union with Thranduil and blessed him so that I could feed from him whenever he offered without consequence. I could drink my complete fill every night for eternity and he would never weaken, never die. Wounds from my feeding would heal as soon as I was done. And, we discovered later, my bite was quite pleasurable to him. It became a part sex for us at times. He especially liked it when I bit his-"

"Okay, that's enough!" the tiny blonde in front of me cried with horrified eyes. I couldn't help but to laugh. My goal had been to disrupt the pity party that Buffy was indulging in and it seemed like my plan had worked. It hadn't been the way I'd planned on doing it but if talking about my beloved's sexual enjoyments had been one route. I'd need a cold shower to follow the hot one from the particular memory that rose up in my mind. That had my fingers itching to bring relief to the burning desire that pooled in my belly.

"I'm just saying, I know how you feel. I've got an insane ex that's trying to kill me and all that I love, too. I won't be able to see him coming. I won't be able to predict his moves. You've got a distinct advantage over me on that one. You guys can look at the Watcher's diaries from his century and see what kind of tortures he's inflicted on others and get an idea of what's in store. Me, not so much. Derrik is more than a little unhinged at this point and now he's got the firepower to back it up."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at me and frowned. Then she seemed to absorb what I'd said and then sat up a little straighter.

"The Watcher's Diaries. I _could_ see what his past plays have been and then… I could make a move."

"Like in chess, you've got to be thinking more than just the next defensive move. What will Angelus do? Go look at what he's done first and then try to figure out what his move will be from there."

"You know what, Dae? You've just helped me out a _lot_. I'm going to look those diaries over first thing at school tomorrow. You with me on that?"

I nodded and gave a small smile. "Absolutely. Now, you've got some patrolling to do before you go home. I'm going to bed early. I'm beat with all this serious talk," I joked. Buffy smiled and stood up. I walked her to the door and she turned around, hugging me with all her strength. I groaned as I felt my back pop. She jumped back and had an apologetic look on her face. I shook my head and shooed her out the door. Heading to the bathroom, I turned the shower to the hottest setting and peeled my clothes off before stepping in and reliving one of the hottest memories I had of the Elf I loved.


End file.
